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
A veritable who’s who of the global pro-family movement and other religious leaders gathered in Paul VI Hall inside the Vatican this morning for what will be three days of talks from faith and public policy leaders that will result
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
“The reigning mentality sometimes proposes a ‘false compassion,’” said Pope Francis Saturday, “the idea that supporting abortion somehow helps women, or that euthanasia is an act of dignity.” The Pope was speaking in the Vatican to a large group of
Three members of the feminist protest group Femen took to Saint Peter’s Square yesterday in criticism of Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the European Parliament. Dressed only in black leather miniskirts, the three got down on all fours and simulated
In his meeting with more some 7,000 accountants Friday, Pope Francis focused on the humanity of their work, reminding them that “behind each piece of paper there is a story, there are faces.” He invited them to “go beyond” numbers
Gosh! How wickedly funny it was of a group of internet pranksters to whip up confected outrage over Dr Matt Taylor’s harmless, if rather loud, shirt. That’s the Matt Taylor who just landed a spacecraft on a comet, by the
In the wake of the confusing meeting in October, the American bishops are taking no chances with next year’s conclusion to the two-part marriage summit. They have sent a strong message, electing a solidly conservative team of bishops to represent
In the final joint statement, delegates from the Catholic-Muslim Forum in Rome “unanimously condemned acts of terrorism, oppression, violence against innocent persons, persecution, desecration of sacred places, and the destruction of cultural heritage.” In this third seminar of the Forum,
Next Monday, work will begin to renovate Vatican restrooms for pilgrims, but Pope Francis has also given instructions for showers to be installed where Rome’s homeless can wash. Bishop Konrad Krajewski, or “Don Conrado” as he is familiarly known, is
The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tucson, Arizona, is urging President Obama to use executive action to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants if Congress fails to do so. According to Crux, Bishop Gerald Kicanas, a major voice for amnesty
Nicki Minaj’s new single “Only” was released this week to heavy criticism for its use of Nazi imagery. The video’s director, Jeff Osbourne, has issued a statement on Myspace offering no apologies. The statement, which is in response to one released
Speaking to tens of thousands pilgrims Wednesday, Pope Francis said that no one is a bishop, priest, or deacon because he is “smarter, more talented or better than others,” but only by virtue of a gift of love bestowed by
On Wednesday, a UN committee in Geneva asked State Department representatives what the federal government was doing to prosecute psychologists who help patients change their same-sex attractions. The questioning came during the U.S. report to the UN Committee on Torture
There is a foolproof recipe for making it rich in modern pseudo-scholarship. The recipe is: 1. Take one dusty old text in a language few people read. 2. Stirring frequently, spin the text until it makes some sensational claim “disproving”
This morning after his usual prayer of the Angelus Pope Francis commemorated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and made special mention of the role of his predecessor, Saint John Paul II. On November 9, 1989
A delegation of American LGBT activists is traveling to Geneva, Switzerland tomorrow to make the case to the UN Committee on Torture that “conversion therapy” is a form of torture and should be designated as such in international law. They intend to
In a meeting with the World Evangelical Alliance Thursday, Pope Francis expressed his hope in greater unity and collaboration between the two faith communities. “If we really believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy Spirit,” he said, “we
Cardinal Raymond Burke has said he is at the service of Pope Francis, has no personal animosity towards him, and those who claim the American cardinal is an opponent of the Pontiff are trying to discredit him. The head of
Being a bishop “is not a position of prestige, or an honorific post,” Pope Francis said Wednesday. “The episcopate is not an honor, it’s a service, and that is how Jesus wanted it,” he said. “There should be no place
The joy parishioners feel this week that the Church of the Holy Innocents was saved from the chopping block is tempered by the fact that the priest who had a hand in saving it was transferred last spring by New York’s
The Church “rejoices in the marvelous progress of science, seeing it both as a product of the enormous God-given potential of the human mind and as manifestation of the vastness and richness of creation,” said Vatican representative Archbishop Bernardito Auza
“Jesus Himself revealed that the death of the body is like a sleep from which He will awaken us. It’s nice to think that Jesus Himself will awaken us,” said Pope Francis Sunday. November 2 marked the feast of All
A new hospital in Rome has opened a program to help childless couples better understand fertility, using minimally invasive, natural approaches without drugs. Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, noted that
Pope Francis has conveyed to the United Nations his “strong support for the rapid adoption of steps that would lead to the elimination of weapons of mass destruction.” He also called for “the reduction of the world’s reliance on armed
