Tag Archives: Pope Francis

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis on Thursday accepted the resignations of two more Chilean bishops, the latest fallout from a sex abuse scandal whose scope and gravity were initially underestimated by the pontiff. Last month all 31 of Chile’s active bishops offered to quit for collectively failing to protect children from pedophile priests. The Vatican announced that Francis allowed …

Via press release from Bill Donohue: Earlier last week, I pointed out that the pope made it clear that gay couples are not a family. “It is painful for me to say this today: People speak of varied families, of various kinds of family,” but “the family [as] man and woman in the image of God is the only one.” …

The Washington Post reports: Pope Francis stepped into a growing controversy over President Trump’s immigration policies, criticizing the separation of migrant families at the U.S.-Mexican border and saying that “populism” and “creating psychosis” are not the way to resolve migration problems, according to an interview published Wednesday. Speaking to Reuters news agency, the pope said, “It’s not easy, but populism …

Reuters reports: Only heterosexual families can form a family, Pope Francis said on Saturday, when he also condemned abortion and hailed the “sanctity” of women who forgive cheating husbands. “It is painful to say this today: People speak of varied families, of various kinds of family,” but “the family [as] man and woman in the image of God is the …

The Guardian reports: Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a Chilean bishop he robustly defended earlier this year despite claims of a cover-up of clerical sexual abuse, a move that later forced the pontiff into making a public apology. In his continuing efforts to show he has grasped the extent of the Catholic church’s sexual abuse scandal, and intends …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis warned Italian bishops this week to vet carefully applicants to the priesthood and reject anyone they suspected might be homosexual, local media reported on Thursday. “Keep an eye on the admissions to seminaries, keep your eyes open,” the pope was quoted as saying by newspaper La Stampa’s Vatican Insider service. “If in doubt, better not let …

From the Catholic site Crux Now: Pope Francis’s reported comment to a Chilean sexual abuse survivor, “That you are gay doesn’t matter,” has made major headlines in recent days – and on Tuesday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York affirmed Francis’s comments, saying “Jesus would have said that.” “Juan Carlos, that you are gay doesn’t matter,” Francis reportedly told clerical …

The Guardian reports: A survivor of clerical sexual abuse has said Pope Francis told him that God had made him gay and loved him, in arguably the most strikingly accepting comments about homosexuality to be uttered by the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Juan Carlos Cruz, who spoke privately with the pope two weeks ago about the abuse he …

Reuters reports: In an unprecedented move, 34 Chilean bishops said on Friday they had offered to resign en masse after attending a crisis meeting this week with Pope Francis about the cover-up of sexual abuse in their country. It was not immediately clear if the pope would accept all or any of the resignations from the prelates, who hold all …

NBC News reports: Fake news led to Adam and Eve’s original sin, Pope Francis said Wednesday. Disinformation and “manipulative use of social networks” can have “dire consequences” and the world must embark on a “profound and careful process of discernment,” he added in a speech marking World Communications Day. Fake news — a term popularized by President Donald Trump — …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis accused victims of Chile’s most notorious pedophile of slander Thursday, an astonishing end to a visit meant to help heal the wounds of a sex abuse scandal that has cost the Catholic Church its credibility in the country. Francis said that until he sees proof that Bishop Juan Barros was complicit in covering up …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis dove head first into the sex abuse scandal that has devastated the Catholic Church’s credibility in Chile, apologizing Tuesday for the “irreparable damage” to victims, but also acknowledging the “pain” of priests who have been held collectively responsible for the crimes of a few. Francis’ words were delivered amid unprecedented opposition to his visit: …

Reuters reports: At his last public event of the year, an evening vespers service in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pontiff said that humanity had “wasted and wounded” the year “in many ways with works of death, with lies and injustices”. While war was the most obvious sign of “unrepentant and absurd pride”, many other transgressions had caused “human, social and …

Agence France-Presse reports: Callista Gingrich, wife of the former House speaker Newt Gingrich, today began her duties as the new US ambassador to the Vatican. Wearing a traditional black mantilla, she presented her credentials to Pope Francis at the Vatican before officially taking on her role. The appointment carries some controversy: she is the former speaker’s third wife, and had …

The Guardian reports: Pope Francis has criticised journalists who dredge up old scandals and sensationalise the news, saying it’s a “very serious sin” that hurts all involved. Francis, who plans to dedicate his upcoming annual communications message to “fake news”, told Catholic media on Saturday that journalists perform a mission that is among the most “fundamental” to democratic societies. But …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump bested Pope Francis and took the top slot this weekend among current world leaders on his favorite method of communication: Twitter. The @realDonaldTrump personal account crossed 39.7 million followers to overtake the nine different language accounts that the pope uses, making the president the most-followed world leader, according to measurements kept by public relations firm …

The Hill reports: Pope Francis on Wednesday gave President Trump a copy of his 2015 encyclical letter on the environment and climate change. Trump responded to the gifts by saying: “Well, I’ll be reading them,” according to pool reports. The Trump administration has been pushing to roll back Obama-era regulations on the environment. At the beginning of the meeting, the …

The Washington Post reports: Pope Francis used a world forum dedicated to promoting cutting-edge ideas to spread his own revolutionary message: “We all need each other.” “When there is an ‘us,’ there begins a revolution,” the world’s most powerful religious leader told the room of scientists, academics, tech innovators, investors and cultural elites in a surprise videotaped message at the …

The New York Times reports: Bill O’Reilly, the embattled Fox News host facing a barrage of sexual harassment accusations, briefly met Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday morning during the pontiff’s weekly general audience, shaking hands with a religious leader he once lectured over immigration. Mr. O’Reilly, on vacation in Italy for the past week, sat in a …

The New York Daily News reports: Pope Francis urged European leaders on Friday to resist the “false forms of security” promised by populists who want to wall themselves off and instead bank on a future of greater solidarity and union. Francis welcomed 27 EU leaders to the Vatican on the eve of a summit to mark the 60th anniversary of …