In Italy, which still has the highest death toll in Europe, small weddings and funerals are allowed, but restaurants, gyms and churches will be the last to reopen at the end of the month.
Claire Giangravé - Religion News Service
Posted inFaith, News
Pope Francis helps a small trans community financially struggling due to coronavirus
Francis showed his support through the papal almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the administrator of the pope’s charitable work, who wired money to the transgender community late last week.
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After slight cold, Pope Francis reportedly tests negative for coronavirus
Italy has reported more than 1,800 cases of the China-born virus and 66 people have died while nearly 150 have recovered, while the rest allegedly remain in quarantine. Most of the cases were reported in northern Italy, near Milan and Venice.
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Catholic priests and seminarians compete in 13th annual Vatican soccer tournament
What started as a small tournament for clergy in the Eternal City has become a global attraction, as many international seminarians studying in Rome compete for the sought-after prize.
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Vatican, Tim Tebow throw prom night for people with special needs
The Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum on the outskirts of Rome hosted the prom night, where people with disabilities had their photos taken on the red carpet, enjoyed a pizza-filled buffet and danced the night away with pop songs selected by a DJ.
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Debate over Vatican official’s assisted suicide remark driven more by ideology than reality
Is it appropriate for a priest to accompany a person who had chosen to undergo assisted suicide?
Posted inGoodNews, Politics & Society
Pope Francis welcomes refugees to a new life in Italy
Since February 2016, Sant’Egidio has been able to bring 3,026 refugees into Europe using humanitarian corridors. Italy, thanks to the commitment of its episcopal conference and Protestant community, has welcomed the majority of the refugees brought in by Sant’Egidio, reaching a total of 2,448, most of them from Lebanon and Ethiopia.
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On World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis provides free medical aid for the disadvantaged
“The marginalization painfully experienced by millions of persons cannot go on for long,” wrote Francis.
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Pope Francis criticizes cultural discrimination that surfaced during Amazon synod
“There are circles and sectors that present themselves as ilustrados (enlightened) — they sequester the proclamation of the gospel through a distorted reasoning that divides the world between ‘civilized’ and ‘barbaric,’” Francis said. “On this basis, contempt can develop for people considered to be second rate,” he said, adding that “all this also emerged during the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.”
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Synod aims to boost relations between Byzantine Rite and Rome
The synod requires some delicate diplomacy for the Vatican, which under this pontificate has made numerous efforts to strengthen relations with Russia, notably signing a joint declaration with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow during Pope Francis’ February 2016 visit to Havana.