In their meeting this weekend, Pope Francis told Turkish President Erdogan that what is needed now is a worldwide condemnation of Islamic terrorism “from the Muslims themselves.” They need to distance themselves from ISIS and say: “That is not who
“Ten of millions of persons” presently suffer from “physical, economic, sexual and psychological exploitation,” Pope Francis said Tuesday. He declared that this “modern slavery–in the form of trafficking in persons, forced labor, prostitution, and organ trafficking–is a crime ‘against humanity.’”
In a recent interview, Pope Francis’ right-hand man for the reform of the Roman curia said we can expect serious downsizing of the offices that make up the Vatican bureaucracy. Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, the Honduran coordinator of the
Ever since Pope Francis said “Who am I to judge?” when asked about the possibility that some gay clerics may be working in the Vatican, many have assumed that Francis was effecting a major sea change in Vatican politics and
A migrant from Algeria who threatened to set fire to his two daughters and ex girlfriend has been allowed to stay in the UK, because of his “right to a family life”. The man, who cannot be named for legal
Pope Francis urged Muslim leaders worldwide to “clearly” condemn terrorism carried out in the name of Islam, and called for an end to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. Francis said he had told Turkish President Recep Tayyip
In Istanbul Sunday morning, Pope Francis employed some of his strongest language against Islamic extremism to date, condemning jihadist violence against the weak and defenseless as “a profoundly grave sin against God.” Francis spoke of the “plea” coming from the
The election of delegations from the US and Spain have Catholic conservatives at least slightly buoyed about their chances of winning the debate at the next and final Synod on family issues in the Catholic Church. The Extraordinary Synod that
In his historic trip to Turkey Friday, Pope Francis decried the “tragic” situation in the Middle East, above all in Iraq and Syria. “Everyone suffers the consequences of these conflicts, and the humanitarian situation is unbearable,” he said. “I think
The Pope traveled to Turkey Friday morning for a long-awaited three-day visit for meetings with religious and political authorities. But upon arriving at the presidential palace in Ankara, the Pope came out swinging, immediately focusing on Turkey’s soft underbelly: religious
Asked whether dialogue with the Islamic State is possible, Pope Francis said it wouldn’t be easy, but that he would never rule it out. Pope Francis tackled this and other issues in his Q&A session with journalists on the plane
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When a pope last visited Turkey — Benedict XVI in 2006 — Muslim-Catholic tensions were so high that the Vatican added a stop at Istanbul’s famed Blue Mosque at the last minute in hopes of showing
A gang of four thugs who beat a law professor so badly he needed facial reconstruction surgery all had previous criminal convictions in Poland, a court has heard. Kingston Crown Court were told that the gang’s ring leader, Dawid Tychon,
As Pope Francis’ was still preparing to travel to Strasbourg to give his first speech to the EU Parliament on Monday, a Femen protester mounted the altar in Strasbourg’s gothic cathedral, flashing her naked torso and waving the EU flag.
It is beautiful “to think of Heaven,” said Pope Francis Wednesday. “All of us will meet there, everyone. It is beautiful; it gives strength to the soul.” At his general audience in St Peter’s Square this morning, before a crowd
In his address Tuesday morning to the European Parliament, Pope Francis issued a powerful plea to Europe to rediscover its religious roots and to place the human person at the center of society. “A Europe which is capable of appreciating
In a long-awaited decision, Pope Francis has tapped a conservative African cardinal, Robert Sarah of Guinea, as head of the Vatican’s liturgical office. This is the second nomination of a conservative African to an influential position in less than a
Pope Francis said that the current economic crisis requires “initiative” to overcome the consequences of economic difficulties and unemployment, avoiding the temptations of “welfarism” and “indifference.” “We must renew working relationships,” Francis said in a video message released by the
American Cardinal Raymond Burke, recently demoted from the highest legal office in the Vatican, told a conference in Ireland that Catholic layman should write to the Pope to voice their opinions about the general Synod of Bishops to take place
The people of God can forgive their priests when they have a weakness, or when they slip up, said Pope Francis Friday. “But there are two things that the people of God cannot forgive: a priest attached to money and
“There is need for hope and light at this time, particularly because of the darkness that sometimes surrounds us,” says Cardinal Timothy Dolan, “and the visit of Pope Francis to the United States is a carrier of this light.” After
No one can say Pope Francis doesn’t practice what he preaches. Even as he daily urges Christians to do more for the poor, he keeps finding ways to help them personally. This time the Pope has decided to raffle off
In his two addresses today, Pope Francis reiterated the importance of strong, stable families for the future of society, insisting that man and woman are both essential. In his first address, delivered before a group of several hundred scholars and
On Monday morning, Pope Francis personally confirmed that he will visit the United States in September 2015 to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. This will be the Pope’s first visit to the U.S. The Pope made the
Rock legend Patti Smith, the “Godmother of Punk,” will join 17 other artists performing at the Vatican’s annual Christmas concert on December 13, 2014. The concert, at Conciliation Auditorium in Rome, a few steps from St. Peter’s, will be broadcast
