Pope Francis - Page 77

Pope Francis announced his list of fifteen new cardinals-to-be Sunday, concentrating on developing nations, some of whom have never had a cardinal before. They will be made cardinals at Saint Peter’s Basilica on February 14. The Pope’s picks for the

A recent Washington Times piece suggests that President Obama has found a convenient ally in Pope Francis because of the latter’s interest in climate change and his “soft” economics, which seems to converge with points of the democratic platform. At the same time, The Hill reports that Francis is driving a wedge between the Catholic Church and the GOP.

In his message for the World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis has condemned the attitude hiding behind the “quality of life” slogan, insisting that every life has quality and is worth living.

Vatican Radio has released the tape of a phone call that Pope Francis made to refugees sheltered in Kurdistan to express his closeness to them on Christmas night.

“The presence of large families is a hope for society,” Pope Francis said Sunday. “In a world often marked by selfishness, the big family is a school of solidarity and sharing, and these attitudes benefit the whole of society,” he said.

Next year, Pope Francis will issue a rare encyclical calling on Catholics the world over to do their bit in reducing emissions, the Observer has reported. The pontiff also plans to make a series of speeches and summit appearances in

New reports on Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on ecology, slated for release in the spring of 2015, appear to be aimed at stoking fires of division between conservatives and liberals. Though contents of the letter have yet to be released, the Guardian predicts that the Pope’s letter on human and environmental ecology “will anger deniers and US churches.”

In his Christmas Address at St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis condemned the “brutal persecution” of Christian minorities by ISIS, and prayed for all the “exiles and refugees, children, adults and elderly.” Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

In his annual Christmas message Thursday, Pope Francis drew inspiration from the Baby Jesus hunted by King Herod to speak of abused and massacred children, starting with those killed by abortion.

Amidst his yuletide duties, Pope Francis has written a heartfelt Christmas letter to Christians in the Middle East, assuring them of his closeness and encouraging them to be strong and persevere in the faith. The Pope’s letter comes at a

In what was slated an “exchange of Christmas greetings” with clergy working in the Vatican, Pope Francis did not merely opt for a polite “Merry Christmas.” Instead, he took advantage of the occasion to urge his hearers to undertake an

In his meeting with staff of the Vatican offices Monday, Pope Francis compared priests to airplanes, noting that they only make news when they fall, and yet “there are so many still flying.” “Many criticize priests,” the Pope continued, “and

In his meeting with members of the Italian National Olympic Committee Friday, Pope Francis compared athletics to the spiritual life, saying that the Church’s role is to urge people toward “a strong sense of spiritual combativeness.” Francis went on to

With the Obama administration acknowledging the personal intervention of Pope Francis in the President’s unilateral decision to re-establish U.S. relations with Cuba, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is applauding the pope’s role in the effort. The USCCB

Pope Francis spoke of “the many forms of poverty” that wound our world, highlighting what he called “the most dangerous misery” of all: “separation from God, and the presumption of thinking we can do without Him.” This separation, Francis said,

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would be changing its policy toward Cuba, opening a Havana embassy and expanding travel. “Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people and