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(Vatican Radio). Jorge Bergoglio became the 266th Pope on March 13, 2013. His humble and direct style was immediately clear as he uttered his first words as pontiff: “buona sera.” Four years on, his reform of the Church and of the Curia ploughs ahead, he continues to enjoy the acclaim of cheering crowds every Wednesday at the weekly General Audience and at all public appearances, his call for mercy and his openness and pastoral outreach towards the peripheries and towards the most vulnerable stand out as constant traits of his ministry.The past year of France’s pontificate has given us unforgettable moments and important teachings such as the historic embrace with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba, his silent prayer in Auschwitz, the canonization of Mother Teresa, his ecumenical journey to Lund to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the publishing of his Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia”, to name but a few.The Cardina...
By Junno Arocho EstevesVATICANCITY (CNS) -- While Pope Francis' recent comments on the subject of marriedpriests made headlines around the world, his response falls clearly in linewith the thinking ofhis predecessors. In aninterview with German newspaper Die Zeit, published in early March, Pope Francis was askedif allowing candidates forthe priesthood to fall in love and marry could be "an incentive" forcombatting the shortage of priestly vocations. He was alsoasked about thepossibility of allowing married"viri probati" -- men of proven virtue -- to become priests. "Wehave to study whether 'viri probati' are a possibility. We then also need todetermine which tasks they could take on, such as in remote communities, forexample," Pope Francis said. Expressing a willingness to study the question of allowingmarried men to become priestswas hardly a groundbreaking response giventhat the topic was explored in two meetings of the Synod of Bishops and by bothPope Benedict XVI and St. John P...
Here's one thing millions of Americans can agree on: March Madness is fun, especially when there's a little money on the line....
LONDON (AP) -- Scotland's leader delivered a shock twist to Britain's EU exit drama on Monday, announcing that she will seek authority to hold a new independence referendum in the next two years because Britain is dragging Scotland out of the EU against its will....
BERLIN (AP) -- Diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Western Europe erupted over the weekend after the Netherlands blocked Turkish officials from holding rallies in their country, prompting a flurry of angry rhetoric and threats of dire consequences from Ankara....
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Two former Penn State University administrators pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor child endangerment for their roles in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation case, more than five years after the scandal engulfed the school and led to coach Joe Paterno's downfall....
For generations, San Francisco has been the heart of the American protest movement. In the 1960s, it was demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Later came repeated pushes for gay rights and other liberal causes. More recently, activists have targeted gentrification fueled by tech workers who've been flooding into the picturesque neighborhoods, driving up rents and evictions and making it the priciest city in the country....
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Before Donald Trump's election, Laurence Berland viewed political protest as a sort of curiosity. He was in a good place to see it: San Francisco's Mission District, once an immigrant enclave in the country's heartland of radicalism that is increasingly populated by people like him - successful tech workers driving up rents while enjoying a daily commute to Silicon Valley on luxury motor coaches....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans pushing a plan to dismantle Barack Obama's health care law are bracing for a Congressional Budget Office analysis widely expected to conclude that fewer Americans will have health coverage under the proposal, despite President Donald Trump's promise of "insurance for everybody."...
(Vatican Radio) South Sudan's President Salva Kiir called for a National Day of Prayer for peace and forgiveness on 10 March and urged citizens to turn out in high numbers.Renewed political tensions and violent clashes between government forces and the opposition have resulted in tens of thousands of vulnerable people fleeing their homes and their lands. A famine was recently declared in some states, and an estimated 7.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile Pope Francis has said he is studying the possibility of an ecumenical visit to war-torn South Sudan together with the leader of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Justin Welby.On the ground, Churches of different denominations including the Catholic and Anglican Churches - which count the largest followings - are urging the people to put aside differences and commit to dialogue on nation building.Father Michael Perry, Minister General of the Order of the Friars Minor has just returned fro...
