Pope Francis

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Vatican on Gay Unions: We 'Cannot Bless Sin'

Catholic Church rules priests can't sanction same-sex unions

(Newser) - The Vatican decreed Monday that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin," per the AP . The Vatican’s orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal response Monday to a question about whether Catholic clergy can bless gay...

Pope Joins Historic Appeal for Coexistence in Peace

'We need one another,' Francis says after meeting in Iraq

(Newser) - After a historic private meeting with a senior Shiite cleric in Iraq, Pope Francis appealed for religious tolerance. "We need one another," the pope said later in a speech on the desert plain of Ur, believed to be the birthplace of Abraham. "Hostility, extremism and violence are...

Iraq Prepares for First-Ever Papal Visit

It's Francis' first overseas trip since pandemic began

(Newser) - Pope Francis heads to Iraq on Friday to urge the country’s dwindling number of Christians to stay put and help rebuild the country after years of war and persecution, brushing aside the coronavirus pandemic and security concerns to make the first-ever papal visit to the country. Iraqis were keen...

Rockets Hit Iraqi Base Holding US Troops

No casualties or damages reported as Pope prepares for visit

(Newser) - At least 10 rockets were fired Wednesday at an Iraqi military base hosting troops of the US-led coalition to defeat ISIS, including US troops, according to statements from the coalition and military, per ABC News . The rockets struck Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province at 7:20am local time, coalition...

Pope Names Women to Posts Only Men Had Held

French nun will be the first woman to vote in the Synod of Bishops

(Newser) - Pope Francis has taken two steps to empower women in the Catholic Church's hierarchy, answering calls for change from laypeople, some bishops, and the pope himself. In both cases, women have been appointed to positions that until now have been held only by men, NBC reports. Nathalie Becquart, a...

Pope: Each July, Church Will Honor 'Forgotten' Grandparents

Younger generations are missing out on the wisdom of their elders, Francis says

(Newser) - Pope Francis has established an annual date to honor grandparents and other elders, lamenting that they are often forgotten despite the wisdom they have to offer society. Francis on Sunday announced that every year, on the fourth Sunday of July, the Roman Catholic Church will pay tribute to older adults...

Pope: Women Still Can't Be Priests, but They Can Read at Church

Francis changes law to allow women to take on more responsibilities during Mass

(Newser) - Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly allow women to do more things during Mass, while reaffirming they can't be priests. Francis amended the law to formalize what's common practice in many parts of the world: that women can read the Gospel and serve on the altar...

Pope: 'Violence Is Always Like This, Isn't It?'

Now that the issues are in the open, Francis says, the problems can be addressed

(Newser) - Pope Francis has told an Italian broadcaster that he was "astonished" by the mob attack at the US Capitol because of the democratic traditions of the US. The pope said in an interview with Mediaset that the private broadcaster is scheduled to air on Sunday that even "in...

Pope Has 'Painful' Reason for Skipping New Year's Events

Francis' back pain due to sciatica will cause him to miss ceremonies

(Newser) - Pope Francis is skipping ceremonies on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day due to what the Vatican says is a painful back condition, a spokesman said Thursday. Matteo Bruni said Francis is suffering from "painful sciatica" and won't preside at a year-end prayer service Thursday...

One Trump, One Obama Take Home 'Most Admired' Crowns

Donald Trump ends Barack Obama's 12-year winning streak, while Michelle Obama wins top spot for women

(Newser) - Donald Trump didn't beat Joe Biden in the election, but he can notch a win against Barack Obama. In its annual survey on the matter, Gallup pollsters asked 1,000 or so American adults to name, without being given choices, a man and a woman they most admire anywhere...

Pope Doesn't Appear to Be a Fan of This Nativity Scene

Vatican's choice for St. Peter's Square has a sci-fi theme

(Newser) - Without directly adding his own art criticism of the Nativity scene chosen by the Vatican this year for St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis has made his preference clear. Twice when speaking the faithful in the square on Sunday, the pope suggested they instead visit the 100 small, more traditional...

Vatican: It's OK to Get Vaccine That Used Abortion Cell Lines

It rolled out the guidance on Monday

(Newser) - The Vatican on Monday declared that it is “morally acceptable” for Roman Catholics to receive COVID-19 vaccines based on research that used fetal tissue from abortions. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's watchdog office for doctrinal orthodoxy, said it had received several requests for...

After Scandals, Pope Revamps Vatican's Finance Intel Unit

It's part of pontiff's efforts to prevent and counter 'money laundering and the financing of terrorism'

(Newser) - Pope Francis has revamped the Holy See's financial intelligence and anti-money-laundering unit following financial scandals, including an ongoing in-house corruption probe, Vatican officials said Saturday. The changes involve the governance and organization of the unit, which has been renamed the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority, or ASIF, the Vatican...

Pope Speaks on COVID, and What 'Changed the Way I Saw Life'

In 'NYT' op-ed, pontiff writes that personal freedoms shouldn't displace the common good

(Newser) - When Pope Francis was 21, he became very sick with a flu that had him gasping for breath and totally dependent on his caretakers. He eventually recovered, but that illness "changed the way I saw life," and it now serves as an important reminder to him that only...

Pope Praises NBA Players for Demanding Racial Justice

5 players met Pope Francis at the Vatican

(Newser) - Pope Francis met with NBA players at the Vatican on Monday, lauding them as “champions" and saying he supported their work on social justice. The five players—Marco Belinelli, Sterling Brown, Jonathan Isaac, Kyle Korver, and Anthony Tolliver—were joined in the delegation by three NBA players' union executives....

Wasn't Me, Says the Pope After 'Like' of Risque Photo

The Holy See wants some answers from Instagram

(Newser) - Of all the "likes" on a racy photo posted by Brazilian model Natalia Garibotto, one stood out. It came from Franciscus, which just happens to be the Instagram account of none other than Pope Francis, reports the Catholic News Agency . The "like" disappeared when CNA asked the Vatican...

Vatican Report: John Paul II to Blame for McCarrick's Rise

Probe into disgraced cardinal lets Pope Francis off the hook, blames other bishops, cardinals, popes

(Newser) - A Vatican probe into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has found that a series of bishops, cardinals, and even popes downplayed or dismissed reports he slept with seminarians, and determined that Pope Francis merely continued his predecessors' naive handling of the predator until a former altar boy alleged abuse. The Vatican took...

That's Not Quite What the Pope Meant: Vatican

Two answers on same-sex civil unions confusingly became one, letter tells bishops

(Newser) - Pope Francis' comments endorsing civil unions for same-sex couples really didn't, the Vatican says. A letter has been sent out saying that the film Francesco took the pope's answers in a 2019 interview out of context, putting two answers to different questions together to leave the impression that...

Pope Assigns Blame to 'This Lady Called COVID'

He says it while apologizing for not going into the crowd to greet people

(Newser) - Pope Francis has blamed "this lady called COVID" for forcing him to keep his distance again from the faithful during his general audience. Francis again eschewed a protective mask Wednesday, and while the prelates wore masks throughout the hourlong audience, they took them off when they lined up to...

Pope Francis Announces a Surprise First

Names DC Archbishop Wilton Gregory a new cardinal, the first Black American in a red hat

(Newser) - Pope Francis on Sunday named 13 new cardinals, including Washington, DC, Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who would become the first Black US prelate to earn the coveted red hat. In a surprise announcement from his studio window, Francis said the churchmen would be elevated to a cardinal’s rank in a...

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