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Pope answers questions about Curia reforms, gay lobby
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM BRAZIL (CNS) -- Pope Francis said he was responding to the clear wishes of the College of Cardinals when he set up commissions to study the Vatican bank, Vatican financial and administrative procedures and the reform of the Roman Curia. The pope also said he knows people have spoken about some kind of "gay lobby" at the Vatican protecting certain priests by threatening to blackmail others. The pope said the "lobbying" is what is worrisome.
Pope Francis discusses women in the Church, divorce, his own spirituality
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM BRAZIL (CNS) -- From his personal prayer life and spirituality to the role of women in the Church and the pastoral care of the divorced, Pope Francis responded to several questions about Church teaching and ministry July 28 when he met reporters on his flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rome.
Pope says he’d rather trust God than live in bullet-proof bubble
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM BRAZIL (CNS) — With a few Vatican police standing at attention in the very back of the Alitalia plane flying him back to Rome, Pope Francis told reporters about his security even before being asked. “My security staff is very, very good and now they are letting me do a […]
Vatican to cooperate with Italy in fight against financial crimes
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican signed an agreement with Italy to share information regarding suspect financial transactions in an effort to strengthen its ability to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with its Italian counterpart, the Financial Information Unit, in order to […]
Pope commissions young people to be missionaries without borders
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Pope Francis commissioned some 3 million young people to join forces and form what could be called Missionaries Without Borders. On the white sand of Copacabana beach -- under partly sunny skies, a relief after days of rain in Rio -- Pope Francis celebrated the closing Mass for the July 23-28 celebration of World Youth Day Rio.
Pope tells Brazilian protesters to be peaceful, bring values to society
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — The street protests involving hundreds of thousands of mostly young people in cities across Brazil, and in other countries, are a sign of the youths’ desire for a more just world, but Christians must ensure the protests are peaceful and that efforts to improve society are guided by Christian values, […]
Krakow, Poland, to host World Youth 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Krakow, Poland, will be the site of the next World Youth Day, in 2016. Pope Francis made the announcement shortly after celebrating the final Mass of this year's World Youth Day before a crowd of more than 3 million people on Copacabana beach.
Pope tells Brazil’s bishops to speak with simple language, love
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — Acknowledging the Catholic Church’s heavy loss of members in Brazil over recent decades, Pope Francis told the country’s bishops that they must learn to understand and sympathize with the reasons for people’s disaffection and speak to them in a simpler language of beauty, mystery and love. “We need a church […]
Play on Christ’s team, help build up the church, pope tells youths
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — Pope Francis told young people God might have been trying to communicate something in forcing the World Youth Day vigil’s change of venue from a huge field to a long narrow stretch of sand and sea. Addressing as many as 3 million young — and not-so-young — people on Rio’s […]
Malvern Prep searched deep in the heart of Texas for new basketball coach
Malvern Prep’s administrators have received their share of interesting coaching candidates over the years. Especially recently. Impressed by several resumes, one in particular raised some eyebrows – in a good way. After coaching for 12 seasons at Cypress Springs High School outside Houston, Texas, John Harmatuk was ready, willing and able to travel to the northeast to inherit the Friars.