Pope Francis is the most talked about name of 2013, and his twitter handle @Pontifex ranks in the top-five “top words” on the Web. The results are revealed in a study conducted by the Global Language Monitor’s 14th annual global survey of the English language. The Texas-based group determines the top terms, words, phrases, and names Read more
I really like Pope Francis. But I’m biased. I like him not primarily because he strikes me as so “different” or “humble” or for the other things the press says about him. No, I like him because he strikes me as a bit goofy. He talks to people he’s not expected to talk to and Read more
In what’s been described as his first real encyclical, RtoZ News reports the picture of Pope Francis kissing and blessing a severely disfigured man, is going viral on social media. Time calls the photo, “the most beautiful photo” and reminds readers that while we may not know the words the Holy Father prayed, calls the moment Read more
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 25. Details are not yet in place, however the meeting comes at a time when the Catholic Church seeks to improve ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Relations between Russia and the Vatican have been fraught since the 1991 breakup Read more
Pope Francis sent a message of prayer and encouragement to those who were affected by the huge storm that swept across the Philippines on Friday. Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin sent a telegram on behalf of the Holy Father to the Philippine president, Benigno Aquino III, on Nov. 10, saying, “Deeply saddened by Read more
Don’t cry for the Catholic Church in Argentina or anywhere else in Latin America. The church may have lost privileged status in many nations, and is dropping some market share to a rapidly growing Pentecostal movement. But the combination of increasing religious freedom and competition is also fuelling a Catholic renewal movement, and equipping the Read more
Since Pope Francis took office in March, almost everything he has said and done indicates that he is bent on carrying through a thorough reform of the Roman Catholic Church, beginning with the Vatican itself. Scarcely a month after taking office, he created an international group of eight cardinals to advise him on reform of Read more
Pope Francis wants action against modern forms of slavery including forced labour and prostitution, the Vatican said on Monday after a meeting of experts called by the pontiff to debate the problem. “Some experts believe human trafficking will overtake drug and arms trafficking in a decade, becoming the most lucrative criminal activity in the world,” Read more
It would be wrong for me to anticipate the mind of the Church, but I personally believe that one day Oscar Romero will be declared a Saint of the Church. These were the carefully-chosen words of Cardinal Basil Hume in a tribute to Archbishop Romero at a memorial service in Westminster Cathedral the week after his assassination Read more
The Vatican on Sunday dismissed as “nonsense” Irish media reports that Pope Francis might nominate two Irish women as cardinals. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said: “This is just nonsense… It is simply not a realistic possibility that Pope Francis will name women cardinals for the February consistory.” The Vatican statement came after reports said Read more