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With new document, pope shows holiness is for everyone, speakers say
"The pope wants to tell us that holiness is not something else apart from our everyday life, but it is exactly our ordinary existence lived in an extraordinary way," said Archbishop Angelo De Donatis, the papal vicar.
St. Grandma? Pope cites the famous and the ‘saint next door’
"A great cloud of witnesses," he said, encourages each Christian to take steps toward holiness. "These witnesses may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones," he wrote.
The devil is a real threat to Christian life, not a myth, pope says
The path to holiness does not involve wrestling with some abstract boogeyman, but involves a "constant struggle against the devil, the prince of evil," Pope Francis said.
Selection of quotes from pope’s exhortation on holiness
Here is a selection of quotations from "Gaudete et Exsultate" ("Rejoice and Be Glad"), Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation on holiness.
To be holy today: Pope Francis writes of path to holiness
God calls real people -- who make time for prayer and who show loving care in the simplest gestures -- to be saints, Pope Francis said in his new document "Gaudete et Exsultate" ("Rejoice and Be Glad").
Pope denounces use of chemical weapons after deadly attack in Syria
"There is no good and bad war, and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such instruments of extermination against defenseless people and populations," the pope said.
Bishops on both sides of Mexico border criticize troop deployment
The Mexican bishops' conference criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and issued a strong defense of migrants.
In Canada, prayers, tears for victims of Humboldt Broncos tragedy
The 15 dead included 10 hockey players between the ages of 16 and 21, the team coach, radio broadcaster, bus driver and other team personnel.
Don’t be afraid of shame, open hearts to God’s mercy, pope says
Feeling ashamed of one's sins does not mean wallowing in guilt, rather it is the gateway all men and women can use to experience firsthand God's tender mercy and forgiveness, Pope Francis said.
As young people speak to church, they must listen to Jesus, pope says
The Catholic Church wants to listen to young people and know where they are coming from, but young Catholics must be ready to listen to Jesus and discover where he wants to lead them, Pope Francis said.