Debt relief: Biblical jubilee concern is focus of Holy Year 2025, too June 8, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News Proclaiming the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis appealed to the world’s wealthiest nations to “acknowledge the gravity of so many of their past decisions and determine to forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them.”
Amid prayers for peace, Vatican-Israeli tensions were on display June 7, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, News, World News The Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel and Israel’s massive military response in Gaza have led to strong papal pleas for peace but also to Vatican-Israeli diplomatic tensions.
Italian report: Pope encourages gay man who wants to enter seminary June 5, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis reportedly told a young gay man to “keep going” with his vocational search after he told the pope he felt called to the priesthood but was turned away by an Italian seminary because he told them he was gay.
Sin will not keep Jesus away, pope pens in preface to Father Martin’s book June 4, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Books, News, Vatican, World News Jesus considers all the baptized to be his friends and will always try to restore them to life and health as he did with his friend Lazarus in the Gospel, Pope Francis wrote.
Interreligious friendships are consolation amid wars, pope says June 3, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis began a meeting with participants in a Focolare-sponsored conference by telling the movement’s president, “I pray for your homeland; I pray so much for your homeland, which is suffering at this time.”
Corpus Christi procession is not sign of pride but invitation, pope says June 3, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Eucharist, Feature, News, Vatican, World News When Catholics carry the Eucharist through the streets, “we are not doing this to show off or to flaunt our faith” but to invite others to share in the life that Jesus gives by making himself a gift, Pope Francis said.
Pope encourages young priests to rely on each other in times of crisis May 30, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, Vocations, World News The first years of priesthood are challenging, and the best way to survive and thrive is through closeness to God, to one’s bishop, one’s fellow priests and to one’s parishioners, Pope Francis told priests who have been ordained less than 10 years.
Anglican-Catholic dialogue examines churches’ ethical teachings May 29, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, News, World News Recognizing that the Christian churches continually are called to grapple with new moral issues and that reaching different conclusions can complicate the search for Christian unity, a commission of Catholic and Anglican bishops and theologians has been studying how their traditions make decisions and what they can learn from each other.
Pope apologizes for using ‘homophobic’ slang May 28, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term, reported by others,” that is considered vulgar in Italian, the Vatican press office said.
Be proud of your uniform, committed to peace, pope tells military May 28, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News Entrusting to God’s mercy all of their comrades-in-arms who have died serving their countries and defending peace, Pope Francis urged Catholic members of the military to let their faith inform their service.
Pope signs decrees advancing several sainthood causes May 23, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Saints, Vatican, World News In addition to clearing the way for the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, Pope Francis signed decrees in seven other sainthood causes, including that of Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries, who also is now ready to be declared a saint.
Vatican expecting tens of thousands to celebrate World Children’s Day May 19, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, Youth Ministry The Vatican is expecting some 70,000 children between the ages of 5 and 12 and their chaperones to fill Rome’s Olympic Stadium for the opening events of the first World Children’s Day May 25 and to join Pope Francis for Mass in St. Peter’s Square the next morning.
