“I feel the desire to go on mission and ‘shake things up’ (Hagan lio!), as Francis told us.”
Gerard O’Connell
Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.
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On plane back to Rome, Francis says, “To identify Islam with violence is not true.”
The pope also addresses problems in Turkey and Venezuela, and allegations against Cardinal Pell.
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Francis closes World Youth Day, telling crowd to take courage and “aim higher.”
After the homily centered on the story of Zacchaeus, the pope announced the next W.Y.D. in Panama in 2019.
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Happiness is not a warm sofa, Francis tells World Youth Day audience
“God expects something from you,” the pope says at a prayer vigil of 1.6 million in Krakow.
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Pope Francis prays for the elimination of the “sore of terrorism.”
In Krakow, the pope honors two Polish priests killed by the Shining Path terrorist group in Peru.
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Pope Francis urges Polish clergy to renew itself
Celebrating Mass in Krakow, the pope says, “Jesus wants his to be a church on the move.”
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Pope Francis: Unless Christians ‘live to serve, their lives serve no good purpose.’
At the World Youth Day celebration, Francis tells young people to imitate Christ through the 14 works of mercy.
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At Auschwitz, Pope Francis begs ‘forgiveness for so much cruelty!’
Pope Francis walked alone, in silence and painful reflection, through the infamous Nazi concentration camp.
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Pope Francis at World Youth Day: “Mercy always has a youthful face!”
A merciful heart, Francis said, is one that “can welcome refugees and migrants.”
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Pope at Czestochowa: God always shows himself in littleness
Francis spoke to more than 300,000 Poles at the famous shrine of the Black Madonna.