Pope Francis holds hands with youths during a meeting with altar servers in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Aug. 5. The pilgrimage to Rome, sponsored by the German bishops’ conference, included tens of thousands of Germans ages 13 to 27, plus altar servers from Austria, Switzerland, Lithuania and northern Italy. (CNS photo | Stefano […]
Chapter on abuse is not closed while people still suffer, says archbishop
ROME The crisis of child abuse by clergy is not a thing of the past — it will linger until the church humbly and courageously reaches out to all people still suffering in silence, said Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin. “To some it might seem less than prudent to think that the church would go […]
Pope Francis: Priests, be merciful; Catholics, ‘pester your priests’
VATICAN CITY — Always be merciful, just like Jesus, who came to forgive, not condemn, Pope Francis told new priests. “Always have in front of your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who didn’t come to be served, but to serve and to look for and save those who were lost,” he said in […]
Pope Francis to seminarians: Don’t be princes; don’t give long, boring homilies
ADVICE TO SEMINARIANS Don’t be businessmen or princes; don’t give long, boring homilies VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis told seminarians not to become “orphan priests,” who are motherless without Mary; “businessman priests,” who are after money; or “prince priests,” who are aloof from the people. He also warned them not to give “boring homilies,” saying […]
Pope Francis on Good Friday: Evil will not have the last word
ROME — Standing in the midst of a giant cross outlined with small torches, Pope Francis said the cross is a reminder of how much evil people are capable of and how much love Jesus had for a sinful humanity. “It was a heavy cross like the night for those who are abandoned, heavy like […]
Pope Francis on Holy Thursday: Serve others with love
VATICAN CITY — In the humble act of washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus is showing all Christians how he wants them to serve others with love, Pope Francis said. “This is the legacy that Jesus leaves us,” and he wants it to be passed down through people’s loving service to others, he said. During the […]
Pope Francis to fathers: Be at your children’s side
VATICAN CITY — On the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church and Jesus’ earthly father, Pope Francis urged all dads in the world to stick by their children’s side, teaching them, guiding them and loving them. “I ask that you have the grace to be very close to your children, letting […]
Notable & quotable: ‘Who am I to judge,” and other memorable sound bites from Pope Francis over the past year
VATICAN CITY In his formal documents, many speeches and unscripted morning homilies the past year, Pope Francis has given the church a bounty of memorable sound bites. Here’s a look at what could be the top 10 most quotable quotes. “Brothers and sisters, good evening. You all know that the duty of the conclave was […]
Top 10 things: His pet parrot, his job as a bouncer and other facts most people don’t know about Peter’s successor
Pope Francis holds a parrot handed to him by a pilgrim during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Jan. 29. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters) VATICAN CITY When Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran walked onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, telling the crowds in Latin: “I announce to you a […]