Pope Francis tells the crowd in St Peter’s Square how his mother scolded him when he was in year four at school after he said “a bad word” to his teacher. Watch video
Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis’
Romero and where Francis is leading the Church
Friday, May 22nd, 2015
The beatification of martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero on May 23 will acknowledge what has been celebrated throughout Latin America since his assassination at the altar on March 24, 1980, in El Salvador. Romero gave his life as a good shepherd for his flock in a time of persecution. He modeled what a bishop looks like Read more
Has Pope changed tack on morality and pastoral approach?
Friday, May 22nd, 2015
Pope Francis has changed one significant emphasis of his pontificate since last year’s extraordinary synod on the family, a Vatican watcher says. Vaticanista Sandro Magister, writing for the Italian L’Espresso magazine, said in the first two summers of his pontificate, Francis “gave space and visibility to the men and movements in favour of a reform Read more
Biography of Pope Francis — another view
Friday, May 22nd, 2015
Austen Ivereigh, The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, Allen and Unwin, London 2014. Deeply disturbing I found this book when I first read it last year and I remain disturbed. Yet everyone I have read so far has given it glowing reviews. I am confused. Most likely I am like the Read more
Hundreds go to picnic to support embattled US archbishop
Friday, May 22nd, 2015Hundreds of San Francisco Catholics showed their support for embattled Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone at a picnic event last weekend. Eva Muntean, marketing manager at Ignatius Press and a co-chair of the annual Walk for Life in San Francisco, organised the picnic in response to the criticism the archbishop has faced. Archbishop Cordileone said he attended Read more
Pope appoints Timothy Radcliffe to pontifical council
Friday, May 22nd, 2015Pope Francis has named a former head of the Dominicans, Fr Timothy Radcliffe, to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Master of the Dominicans between 1992 and 2001, Fr Radcliffe will serve as a consultor on the pontifical council. The council is the Vatican body devoted to social justice and human rights. Fr Radcliffe Read more
Vatican denies Pope’s encyclical delayed over doctrine
Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
The Vatican has denied that Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment had been delayed over doctrinal fears. Veteran Vaticanista Sandro Magister claimed on his blog Settimo Cielo on May 11 that the Pope had “binned” the first draft of the encyclical in March. Magister said the Pope feared the first draft would have been “demolished” Read more
Reformers call for clustering parishes to cease worldwide
Friday, May 15th, 2015
The leaders of 24 reform groups are asking Pope Francis to halt the Church’s practice of clustering parishes as a response to the shortage of priests. In an open letter, 32 signatories told the Pope that the future of parish life is “massively threatened”. According to an article in the National Catholic Reporter, the letter Read more
Liberation Theology father likes ‘atmosphere’ under Francis
Friday, May 15th, 2015
One of the founding fathers of Liberation Theology has acknowledged a clear “change in atmosphere” in the Church under Pope Francis. Fr Gustavo Gutiérrez said that with Francis it’s easier to push the global Church to have a special concern for the poor, “something we find in the Scriptures”. But the Peruvian theologian said there Read more
Raul Castro says Pope could encourage him back to Church
Friday, May 15th, 2015Cuban President Raul Castro said he is so impressed by Pope Francis that he could be persuaded to return to the Catholic Church. Mr Castro and his brother Fidel suppressed the church in communist Cuba for more than half a century. President Raul Castro had a private meeting with the Pope in Rome on Monday. Read more