Pope Francis is facing the challenge of a Puerto Rican archbishop who is refusing to obey a Vatican call for his resignation. Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan has not confirmed that he has been asked to step down as leader of the Catholic Church in the United States island territory. But, after local Read more
This weekend marks the Holy Father’s two-month anniversary (!). Vatican Insider sums it up so far: What has Bergoglio done in the two months since he was elected Pope and what kind of a Pope has he been? Fondness and confessions The wave of affection for the new Pope is undeniable, with requests to attend papal audiences Read more
Pope Francis has told Christians to be joyful and not have a face that looks like “a pickled pepper”. Joy, he said, is a “pilgrim virtue” that moves Christians to journey out into the world, preaching the Gospel and proclaiming Christ. But when Christians have more of a sourpuss than a face that communicates the Read more
The Catholic faith is spread not by proselytising but by “attraction, by witnessing, by preaching”, Pope Francis has told a congregation including Vatican employees. True evangelisers build bridges, to meet people wherever they are, rather than building walls to protect the Church, he said. “A Christian must proclaim Jesus Christ in such a way that Read more
Pope Francis has told leaders of women’s religious orders that their vocation — to be spiritual “mothers not spinsters” — can be fulfilled only in harmony with the faith and teachings of the Church. “Your vocation is a fundamental charism for the Church’s journey and it isn’t possible that a consecrated woman or man might Read more
When Pope Francis visited his predecessor at Castle Gandolfo in March, he said to Benedict XVI that “we are brothers.” This image nicely frames the differences between them. It underscores that the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was not a rupture in the Church (as some suggest) but an unexpected lesson in apostolic continuity. Specifically, Read more
In his first public statement on the subject, Pope Francis has called for the Church to continue “decisive action” against clerical sex abuse. The Pope asked the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Müller, to “continue the line desired by Benedict XVI of decisive action regarding cases of sexual Read more
Christians should be as courageous in spreading the Gospel as they are in pursuing their careers and personal ambitions, Pope Francis has declared. When the Church loses courage, he said, it enters into a “lukewarm” atmosphere. “That hurts the Church so much, because this tepid atmosphere draws you inside, and problems arise among us; we Read more
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has said he is “happy to be back at the Vatican” after moving into his new quarters in a restored convent in the Vatican Gardens. A Vatican statement said the retired Pope intended to “dedicate himself to the service of the Church, above all with prayer”. But Vatican correspondent John Allen Read more
An account of a eucharistic miracle in Buenos Aires, involving Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio — now Pope Francis — has been published in a Polish-based magazine. The article says a priest in the commercial centre of Buenos Aires was finishing distributing Communion at Mass in 1996 when a woman told him she had found a discarded Read more