Speaking openly on his views about the three most recent popes and other matters, Australian Cardinal George Pell says he “never really approved” of Pope Benedict’s resignation from the papacy. And, of the three most recent popes, Pell said he was closest to Benedict. His remarks came during “The Church Up Close” a webinar hosted Read more
Age and illness have not taken the wind out of Pope Francis’ sails. Despite major intestinal surgery last July and his upcoming 85th birthday in December, the Italo-Argentine pope — amazingly! — is showing absolutely no signs that he’s slowing down or planning to close up shop anytime soon. His recent four-day visit to Budapest, Read more
In Pope Francis’ vision for the future of the Catholic Church, bishops will no longer make decisions alone but in dialogue and discernment with the faithful in their community. The new, expanded two-year process to prepare for synods will begin in October and promises to flip the power structures in the church. When it comes Read more
Pope Francis says the two-year process leading to the 2023 synod on synodality is not about “gathering opinions,” but “listening to the Holy Spirit.” He repeatedly stressed the Holy Spirit’s role in decision-making. The three-phase synod opens next month with a diocesan phase, which will run until April. A second, continental phase will take place Read more
Pope Francis told Cardinal Mario Grech that he would rather see clerics in jeans when visiting him, ditching their formal wear. Grech made the comments during an interview on Newsbook.com.mt with by Fr Joe Borg. Grech said that after he was raised to the rank of Cardinal, he attended a meeting with Pope Francis and Read more
The German bishops’ plenary assembly began on Monday with urgent appeals for Catholic church reform and a reminder to heed admonitions from Pope Francis. Opening the assembly, conference president Bishop Georg Bätzing called on all bishops to embrace radical change. Visible changes are needed soon in the German Catholic church reform project, he said. These Read more
Catechesis is a tradition that is lived from heart to heart, from mind to mind, life to life. Pope Francis made the comments while participants in a meeting promoted by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation on Friday. He was following up on the comments he made at St Martin’s Cathedral, Bratislava during his Read more
A lust for service, rather than a lust for power is what should drive the Church’s lay-leaders, Pope Francis says. Their “mission is to serve, not to wield power or exert control over others.” Francis made the comments in a meeting last Thursday with moderators of Catholic lay associations, ecclesial movements and new communities. Many Read more
On his last day in Slovakia Pope Francis told 60,000 mostly masked faithful that faith involves identifying with suffering. He encouraged Slovak Catholics to open their hearts to “a faith that becomes compassion” that “identifies with those who are hurting, suffering and forced to bear heavy crosses.” It is “a faith that does not remain Read more
Christianity is a relic that no longer neither speaks to many people nor affects the way they live their lives, Pope Francis said on Tuesday. He made the comments to Catholic Church clergy and lay leaders in St Martin’s Cathedral, Bratislava during his pastoral visit to Slovakia. “The centre of the Church is not the Read more