More than 6000 papal medals minted to commemorate the papacy of Pope Francis have had to be withdrawn because the name Jesus was misspelt Lesus. The gold, silver and bronze medallions marking the Pope’s first year in office had been specially made by the Italian State Mint. They went on sale on October 8 and Read more
The effort of some of our Catholic friends on the right to question or object or contextualize to the point of gutting the obvious import or even to demean Pope Francis’ happy penchant for speaking frankly continues. They rightly perceive that something different is happening in the church under the leadership of our new Holy Read more
The devil is real, Pope Francis has emphasised, and priests should not try to explain the casting out of demons by Jesus by suggesting he was simply healing a person with a mental illness. “It is true that at that time, they could confuse epilepsy with demonic possession; but it is also true that there Read more
The situation of remarried divorcees will be a major topic of discussion when Catholic bishops meet in October 2014 for an extraordinary Synod of Bishops called by Pope Francis on the pastoral needs of families. The Code of Canon Law says such a synod is held to “deal with matters which require a speedy solution”. Read more
As Jesuit provincial in Argentina, Pope Francis showed the abilities, prudence and shrewdness of a secret agent to save the lives of more than 100 people during the nation’s Dirty War in the 1970s. This is the assessment of Italian journalist Nello Scavo, who has just released a book recounting Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s efforts Read more
In preparing to publish their historic 12,000-word interview with Pope Francis, the editors at America magazine cut an important sentence from his answer about the role of women in the church: “It is necessary to broaden the opportunities for a stronger presence of women in the church.” America editor in chief Jesuit Fr. Matt Malone Read more
Confirmation that Pope Francis intends a complete overhaul of the Roman Curia has been made official following the first meeting of the Council of Cardinals appointed to help the Pope govern the Church. The aim is to emphasise the Curia’s role of service to the universal Church and the local churches “in terms of subsidiarity, Read more
On a pilgrimage to Assisi, Pope Francis has called on all Christians and the whole Church to imitate St Francis by embracing poverty and stripping away worldly attitudes. “A Christian cannot coexist with the spirit of the world,” he said, speaking in a room of the Assisi archbishop’s residence where St Francis shed himself of Read more
I have a confession. I’m having a tough time adjusting to Pope Francis. I admit that I’m a B16 fan girl and I’m still getting over Pape Bene’s understandable departure. It’s like when your best friend moves far away and no matter how hard you try, you can’t help but compare all your other friends Read more
It is becoming increasingly clear that our Pope Francis is a pope who, as Stephen White put it,”smells like his sheep”. He is a man of his people, and a father who communicates to his people in a fashion that they seem to like. More evidence of this is a means to prayer that the Read more