Vatican City: The theme chosen by Pope Francis for the XV General Assembly of the Ordinary Synod of Bishops taking place in October 2018 will be “Young people, faith and vocational discernment.” A press release from the Vatican on Thursday said the Pope made the choice after consulting, as normal,Continue Reading
When Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby join in prayer at vespers, or evening prayers, in San Gregorio al Celio church in Rome, this will mark another step towards unity between Anglicans and Catholics. They will literally be singing from the same hymn sheet, with the SistineContinue Reading
In April, a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India had requested Narendra Modi to invite Pope Francis to IndiaContinue Reading
Amatrice: Pope Francis has made good on a promise to go to the central Italian region hardest hit by the devastating earthquake that struck in August. He arrived Tuesday without warning to console survivors and urge them to press forward. According to the Associated Press, the pontiff hoped to keepContinue Reading
Pope Francis announced on Sunday he would “almost certainly” visit India and Bangladesh in 2017, as he wrapped up a three-day tour in the Caucasus and headed home to Rome. Asked on board the papal plane what his plans for the coming year were, the Argentine pope confirmed he wouldContinue Reading
Vatican City: Pope Francis was treated to a special presentation Saturday when young people, including several disabled youth in wheelchairs, performed traditional dances for him during his papal visit to Georgia Saturday. The performance took place during a meeting held outside one of the buildings of the Assistance Center ofContinue Reading
Aboard the Papal plane — Pope Francis says Jesus would never turn away transgender faithful and that priests today should accompany them spiritually, even if they undergo sex change operations, sin and repent. “These people must be accompanied as Jesus accompanied them,” he said. Francis drew a firm distinction betweenContinue Reading
Pope Francis’s efforts to improve relations with the Georgian Orthodox Church suffered a setback Saturday after the patriarchate decided at the last minute not to send an official delegation to his Mass and reminded the Orthodox faithful they cannot participate in Catholic services. Francis still pressed on with his agenda,Continue Reading
Pope Francis praised Azerbaijan on Sunday as a model for a world divided by violent extremism, sidestepping criticism of the government for the sake of encouraging religious tolerance in an often-volatile region where Catholics are a minority. Francis avoided direct mention of criticism in the West over allegations of humanContinue Reading
Janeth Mhella of Vatican Radio’s Africa Service became the first African ever at Vatican Radio to be honoured by Pope Francis for having served the Pope and the Church diligently in her work at the radio. Mhella, from the KiSwahili language Service, was handed one of Pope Francis’ highest awardsContinue Reading
