This morning in the Sala Clementina of the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Holy Father received in audience the managers and athletes of the national rugby teams of Argentina and Italy. Pope Francis described rugby as a very likeable sport, since “it is a tough sport, with a lot of physical contact, but it is not Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis’
No clear ‘Pope Francis effect’ among US Catholics
Tuesday, November 26th, 2013
A new analysis of pooled Pew Research surveys conducted between Pope Francis’ election in March and the end of October this year finds that the percentage of Americans who identify as Catholics has remained the same – 22% — as it was during the corresponding seven-month period in 2012. “In fact, our polls going back Read more
Vatican honors gay teen with award meant for ‘role models’
Tuesday, November 26th, 2013Pope Francis walked the walk last weekend, when he followed through on his promise to make the Vatican more gay-friendly – or at least less gay-nasty – by honoring a sixteen-year-old gay American. Jack Ankara is an all “A” student at a public high school in Crownsville, Maryland, where half the student body drops out Read more
Pope confesses every two weeks: Recommends it to bishops and priests
Friday, November 22nd, 2013
At his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said he goes to confession every two weeks. “My confessor hears what I say, offers me advice and forgives me. We all need this,” the pope said. Francis said priests and bishops need to also go to confession regularly. “God, in his sovereign mercy, forgives Read more
Pope Francis shows tenderness as he embraces disfigured man
Friday, November 22nd, 2013
Pope Francis this week comforted a man with a severely disfigured face – just two weeks after he embraced an Italian man with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes painful tumors all over the body. The pontiff embraced the unnamed man after the weekly audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday. Reports said it is not Read more
Pharmacist pope diagnoses prayer as medicine for the heart
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013Pope Francis on Sunday advised Catholics to take a special dose of spiritual medicine, offering some 20,000 boxes of “mercy” – containing rosaries – to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square. “I now want to suggest a medicine. ‘What?’ you ask, ‘the pope is now a pharmacist?’” Francis said, shaking a box resembling a pack of Read more
Pope Francis not in danger from Mafia, Vatican says
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013The Vatican dismissed concerns today that Pope Francis could be a target of Italian organized crime because his reforms threaten what one mafia expert said were long-time ties between the church and criminal syndicates. “There is no concrete reason that would lead us to worry. There is no reason to feed alarmism,” the Rev. Federico Read more
Pope: Mary is not a postmaster sending messages every day
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
Visions of Mary, if taken in the wrong spirit, can sow confusion and distance people from the Gospel, Pope Francis has said. “The spirit of curiosity generates confusion and distances a person from the Spirit of wisdom, which brings peace”, said Pope Francis in his homily at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta. Curiosity, the Read more
Not all Catholics happy with Pope Francis
Friday, November 15th, 2013
When Pope Francis was elected in March, Bridget Kurt received a small prayer card with his picture at her church and put it up on her refrigerator at home, next to pictures of her friends and her favourite saints. She is a regular attender of Mass, a longtime stalwart in her church’s anti-abortion movement and Read more
Mob prosecutor warns Mafia ‘interested’ in Pope Francis
Friday, November 15th, 2013
One of Italy’s best known anti-mob prosecutors is warning the Mafia is considering Pope Francis as a target. Nicola Gratteri says the Mafia is upset by the Pope’s efforts to make the Church more financially transparent. For years the Mafia has laundered money and made investments, taking advantage of the connivance of the Church, he said. Gratteri’s comments Read more