Pope Francis says if martians came to earth he would baptise them if they wanted to be. The pontiff made the interplanetary approach during a speech during mass at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican City to highlight how there were no closed doors to the Holy Spirit. He said the Spirit blows where it Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis’
Jesuit theologian from India under doctrinal scrutiny by Vatican
Friday, May 16th, 2014
The Vatican is investigating a Jesuit theologian from India for allegedly espousing unorthodox beliefs. Censure has reportedly been threatened against Fr Michael Amaladoss, whose best-known book is “The Asian Jesus”. But the Jesuit provincial of Fr Amaladoss’s Indian province said there had been no condemnation or censure. Rather, there has been an ongoing dialogue that has Read more
Orthodox Jews protest against Pope’s visit to Jerusalem site
Friday, May 16th, 2014Hundreds of Orthodox Jews have protested against the visit of Pope Francis to a Jerusalem holy site later this month. The Pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass in the Cenacle, believed to be the site of the Last Supper, during his visit to the Holy Land from May 24-26. The site is also held by Read more
Coptic pope proposes one Easter date for all Christian churches
Friday, May 16th, 2014In a letter to Pope Francis, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church Tawadros II has proposed making one date for Easter celebrations for all Christian Churches. Differences in Easter dates are based on differences between the Julian calendar, which eastern churches follow, and the Gregorian calendar of western churches. Finding one Easter date for Read more
Women, power and the Vatican
Tuesday, May 13th, 2014
When she was 13 years old in 1960, Marie Collins underwent treatment for a bone infection in a Dublin hospital. In the privacy of a ward cubicle, she was raped by the hospital chaplain, Father Paul McGennis. She did not report the priest until 1995, some 35 years later. When she went public, she says, Read more
UN Secretary-General praises Pope Francis’s commitment
Tuesday, May 13th, 2014
The United Nations Secretary-General has told Pope Francis he is counting on the Catholic Church to work with the UN to promote a life of dignity for all. In Rome, Ban Ki-moon hailed the personal commitment by Pope Francis to eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development. Mr Ban and heads of major UN agencies had Read more
Rabbi: Welcome to Israel, Pope Francis
Friday, May 9th, 2014
In a few weeks, at the end of this month, Pope Francis will follow in the footsteps of his immediate two papal predecessors, by making a religious/diplomatic pilgrimage to the Holy Land to visit Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Pope John Paul II did so in March 2000, and Pope Benedict visited in 2009. Read more
Kasper: Merciful God, Merciful Church
Friday, May 9th, 2014
During his first Angelus address, Pope Francis recommended a work of theology that “has done me so much good” because it “says that mercy changes everything; it changes the world by making it less cold and more fair.” That book is Mercy: The Essence of the Gospel and the Key to Christian Life by Cardinal Read more
Is the Pope a Charismatic?
Tuesday, May 6th, 2014
‘Let’s give each other a spiritual hug and let God complete the work that he’s begun. This is a miracle; the miracle of unity… He will complete this miracle.’ Not perhaps the sort of words that you’d expect from the Pope. But then again, who would have predicted that the Pontiff would film an informal Read more
Vatican commission pushes for broad accountability on sex abuse
Tuesday, May 6th, 2014
Bishops should be held accountable if they don’t report suspected sex abuse or protect children from paedophile priests, a pontifical commission says. The new Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors held its first meeting from May 1-3 at the Vatican. Commission head Cardinal Sean O’Malley says a person’s rank in the Church should lead Read more