The apostolic exhortation on the family will be his most important magisterial text of 2016.
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.
Posted inDispatches
A Christmas call for peace in the Holy Land
Bishop Shomali: ‘We hope that this wave of violence stops and more serious negotiations take place in view of a final settlement.’
Posted inDispatches
Pope Francis has appointed two laymen to key positions in the Vatican’s new communications operations.
Greg Burke, an American, and Stefano D’Agostini, an Italian, are early personnel changes in Vatican’s reform project.
Posted inDispatches
In Christmas address, Pope Francis asks Roman Curia to cultivate 24 ‘needed virtues’
The pope struck a very different tone this year, compared to last year when he lambasted 15 “curial diseases.”
Posted inDispatches
Pope Appoints Msgr. Paul Tighe as Bishop and Adjunct-Secretary to the Pontifical Council for Culture
Pope Francis has nominated the well-known Irish monsignor Paul Tighe as a bishop and has appointed him as Adjunct-Secretary to the Pontifical Council of Culture The Vatican made the announcement on Dec 19 and said the Pope has named him to the titular episcopal See of Drivasto in Albania nbsp M
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Pope Francis Opens the Door to Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Pope Francis has opened the door to the canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta He did so this afternoon Dec 17 when he recognized the miraculous cure of a Brazilian man that took place at the end of 2008 nbsp The news was broken unofficially this evening by the Italian Catholic daily
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Rabbi Rosen looks to Pope Francis for new Holy Land peace initiative
“The Catholic Church could do things with political consequences if it coordinated with political leaders.”
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Francis as Bridge-Builder
The Holy Year of Mercy arrives in advance in this land that has suffered from war.
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Pope Francis: “We have to put mercy before judgment.”
Today the pope opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, inaugurating the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Pope Francis tells President Aquino of the Philippines: “Always bring peace.”
The pope’s words come as the peace process to end a 45-year-old conflict between the government and separatist rebels seems to have stalled.