Citing vision problems, pope puts aside text, says love must be concrete August 4, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 Saying his glasses “aren’t working,” Pope Francis put aside his prepared text and told representatives of Portuguese charities to make their love “concrete” and leave a mark on the world with their lives.
Pope hears young people’s confessions in WYD ‘Reconciliation Park’ August 4, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 Young people were going to confession on street corners and park benches throughout Lisbon during World Youth Day, but in the 150 plywood confessionals set up in Vasco da Gama Garden three of them found themselves face to face with Pope Francis.
Renewal in Rome: Jubilee years encourage holier heart, prettier city August 4, 2023By Carol Glatz OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Typically observed every 25 years, a Holy Year or jubilee can draw millions of pilgrims to Rome — a 2,775-year-old city of 2.9 million people that already infamously copes with an average of 7 to 10 million tourists a year.
Pope to young people at WYD: God calls your authentic, not virtual, self August 3, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 Before a sea of waving flags representing countries large and small from across the globe, Pope Francis told some 500,000 singing, shouting and swaying young people that God has called each person to him by name, not their social media handle.
Don’t close yourself off from crisis, pope tells Portuguese students August 3, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 Meeting in a makeshift “Sistine Chapel” painted floor-to ceiling by students, Pope Francis, paintbrush in hand, left a mark on the hearts of young people by telling them not to shy away from the personal crises that come with a life of faith.
Pope meets WYD pilgrims from Ukraine, hears their stories August 3, 2023By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Crisis in Ukraine, Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 Fifteen World Youth Day pilgrims from Ukraine, most of whom had lost a father or other close relative in the war, had a private meeting with Pope Francis Aug. 3.
Awaken the ‘weary’ church by becoming ‘restless,’ pope says in Portugal August 2, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 A Catholic Church that has grown weary in countries shaken by the clerical sexual abuse crisis and cultural trends toward secularism must look anew to Jesus to revive their “restless” enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel, Pope Francis said.
In Portugal for WYD, pope urges Europe to recover its ‘youthful heart’ August 2, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 Arriving at the edge of the European continent for World Youth Day, Pope Francis urged Portuguese officials to return to their maritime roots by setting sail toward new horizons of hope and helping build a Europe “capable of recovering its youthful heart.”
Pope to Russia: Destroying grain, creating hunger is ‘grave offense to God’ July 31, 2023By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Crisis in Ukraine, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Destroying grain is a “grave offense to God,” Pope Francis said, appealing to authorities in Russia as “my brothers” and urging them to resume cooperating with a United Nations’ initiative to guarantee the safe transport of grain out of Ukraine.
Ancient word: Jews, Christians study shared past in Vatican manuscripts July 30, 2023By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Some 20 Jewish and Christian scholars began a three-month hybrid course in mid-July at the Vatican Library to dig into more than 1,000 years of teachings contained in more than 800 ancient Hebrew manuscripts from the 9th to 16th centuries housed in its collections.
Pope prays for WYD: The church is not a ‘club’ for the elderly July 28, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, World Youth Day Portugal 2023 The Catholic Church is not a “club” for the elderly; it needs the participation of young people to keep it alive and ensure it does not “grow old,” Pope Francis said.
Jesuits confirm expulsion of artist Father Rupnik after appeal period July 25, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News The Jesuits have expelled from their religious order the well-known artist and preacher Father Marko Rupnik for refusing to uphold his vow of obedience and confront allegations of sexually, spiritually and psychologically abusing some two dozen women and at least one man over the course of 30 years, the order said July 24.