Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis declared Monday that all priests would have the right permanently to forgive abortion, seen as a significant outreach by the Catholic Church to women. “I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who …
Read More »Pope ‘prays for sense of humour’, but hates ‘boot-lickers’
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis prays every day for a sense of humour to help him as head of the Catholic Church, but beware of laughing at his jokes — he can’t abide flatterers. “A sense of humour is a gift I ask for everyday. Because …
Read More »Pope shuts Holy Door after jubilee of hope for sinners
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Sunday brought to a close the Catholic Church’s “Year of Mercy,” shutting the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s after a year in which he raised Mother Teresa to sainthood and took in Syrian Muslim refugees. The Argentine pontiff, who says …
Read More »Pope creates 17 cardinals, ‘Princes of the Church’
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis will create 17 new cardinals from across the globe Saturday in a time-honoured ceremony, elevating them to an elite body that advises and elects popes. Three of them are from the US, while others come from corners of the world where …
Read More »Apostolic Nuncio Kasujja leaves Nigeria for Belgium
VATICAN RADIO: The new Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium, Archbishop Augustine Kassujja, who hails from Uganda, is an experienced diplomat who has served the Holy See for many years. Born in 1946, Archbishop Kasujja is the first non-European Nuncio to Belgium. According to the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Archbishop Kasujja leaves …
Read More »Vatican: Failure in Venezuela talks could lead to ‘bloodshed’
Buenos Aires, Argentina | AFP | If upcoming Vatican-backed talks between Venezuela’s bitterly antagonistic government and opposition fail, the result could well be “bloodshed,” a papal envoy warned Saturday. “If one delegation or the other ends the dialogue, it’s not the pope but the Venezuelan people who will lose, because …
Read More »Vatican blasts Italian priest who blames earthquakes on gay unions
Rome, Italy | AFP | An Italian priest has said the recent earthquakes that have shaken the country, killing hundreds and leaving tens of thousands homeless, were “divine punishment” for gay civil unions, earning the Vatican’s wrath. Father Giovanni Cavalcoli, a theologian known for his hardline views, made the comments …
Read More »Vatican to open its doors to 1,000 prisoners
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | One thousand prisoners — including some lifers — will take part in a special event at the Vatican this weekend, along with 3,000 family members, prison staff and volunteers. The prisoners from 12 countries will have the opportunity on Saturday to confess and …
Read More »Pope takes Christian unity bid to Protestant heartland
Rome, Italy | AFP | Pope Francis flies to Sweden Monday on the latest leg of his mission to promote reconciliation and unity within the wider Christian family. The Argentine pontiff is due in the southern city of Lund for an ecumenical service marking the start of a year of …
Read More »Vatican tells Catholics not to scatter ashes of the dead
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | The Vatican on Tuesday urged Catholics not to scatter the ashes of the dead after cremation and instead to store them in places approved by the Church. The new guidelines published by the Church also say that the ashes of the dead should …
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