“There is space in the Church for everyone… Everyone, everyone, everyone!” Pope Francis encouraged the half-a-million young people who warmly received him on Thursday evening at Lisbon’s Edward VII Park to repeat this word numerous times. The Pope appeared revitalized and invigorated by the contagious enthusiasm of the girls and boys who, together with their Read more
At World Youth Day on Friday, politics and devotion met briefly. Crux reports on August 5 that during a semi-private meeting, a Russian Orthodox bishop expressed regret for the Ukraine war, thanking Francis for supporting the Ukrainian people. “I would like to thank you very much for all you have done for the Ukrainian people,” Read more
The Pope’s eyesight is not failing, the Vatican says. Observers had noted Francis set aside several prepared speeches at World Youth Day (WYD) in Portugal. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni says there’s no cause to think the Pope’s eyesight is failing. Francis prefers to speak without notes, Brunei adds. It’s a pastoral preference. “The pope always Read more
Ten years ago on the flight back from his first World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis spoke these five simple words that reverberated around the world: “Who am I to judge?”. Then a relatively new pontiff, this was his comment in response to a reporter who inquired about a “gay lobby” in Read more
The Vatican City’s promoter of justice asked judges Wednesday to sentence Cardinal Angelo Becciu to more than seven years in prison, as he made closing arguments in the landmark financial crimes trial. But do prosecutors really have a case against Becciu? In his argument July 26, Alessandro Diddi spent the day focused on Becciu, the Read more
The Vatican hopes its help will enable young Russians and Ukrainians to enjoy a friendly encounter at World Youth Day (WYD) this week. Pope Francis will arrive in Lisbon, Portugal on Wednesday for the August 1-6 international WYD gathering. Delegations of young Russians and Ukrainians are expected to be there despite their countries being at Read more
Focusing on his own spiritual journey, Hemi Ropata SM says that despite the sexual abuse crisis, people are generally supportive of his exploring a priestly vocation. Addressing a gathering of Auckland Catholic Young Adults, Ropata shared that there is always a question that ‘kind of hangs in the air’, why do you want to join Read more
Small or basic church communities are back in vogue in Brazil, and Pope Francis is stepping in to revive them, cranking up young people’s support and interest. The once powerful Brazilian basic church communities have declined since the 1990s. Last week, 1,000 Brazilian basic church community leaders gathered to discuss Brazil’s most pressing issues, from Read more
Pope Francis has urged Catholics to reject “the temptation to divide the wheat from the weeds”, a metaphor for acting abruptly and even violently to bring about a “pure society” or even a “pure Church” that simply does not exist. “When we see ‘wheat’ and ‘weeds’ living side by side in the world, what should Read more
The question of women, ministry and leadership echoed loudly in parishes and bishops’ assemblies when Pope Francis called two years ago for a worldwide discussion among rank-and-file Catholics about the Church’s main challenges and issues. The question is resounding more loudly as the summit of bishops and lay Catholics known as the Synod on Synodality, Read more