World News
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 […]
On stormy seashore, pope invites young people to follow Jesus
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Even at its stormiest, the Sea of Galilee doesn't have waves like those pounding Copacabana beach, but Pope Francis asked young Catholics to imagine they were with Jesus on the seashore and he was asking them to follow him and share his love with others.
Argentines flock to Rio cathedral to see their cardinal-turned-pope
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- The streets surrounding the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Sebastian were filled with a sea of blue and white flags. The Argentines had come to town.
Pope prays for victims of train wreck in Spain; Virginia woman killed
UPDATED - VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis sent condolences to the archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, after a train crash left at least 80 dead and more than 100 injured.
Final WYD events relocated because of rain, mud
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- The culminating events of World Youth Day have been moved from their planned location in Guaratiba, 30 miles outside the city, which three days of heavy rain has reduced to a field of mud. The new venue for a prayer vigil and final Mass, scheduled for July 27 and 28 respectively, will be the city's Copacabana beach.
At Rio hospital, pope offers drug addicts an embrace and a challenge
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Pope Francis addressed a group of recovering drug addicts in a working-class neighborhood of Rio, offering them a message of compassion and hope as well as a call to self-determination.
In Rio slum, pope denounces corruption, ‘culture of selfishness’
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Visiting one of this city's notorious "favelas," or slums, Pope Francis denounced corruption and a "culture of selfishness and individualism," and called for a "culture of solidarity" in pursuit of social justice.
Pope is most influential, second most-followed world leader on Twitter
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis is the most influential world leader on Twitter, with the highest number of retweets worldwide.
British bishops: Despite law, church can’t accept gay marriage
LONDON (CNS) -- The legalization of gay marriage cannot change Christian teaching on sexual morality, and the Catholic Church cannot accept marriages of same-sex couples, the bishops of England and Wales said in a document that was to be distributed in parishes July 27-28.
By George, English archbishop joyous over birth of British prince
MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- The birth of the royal prince is a "source of joy" for people around the world, said the president of the English and Welsh bishops' conference. Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster issued a statement of congratulations to Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, on the birth of their first son, who is third in line for the British throne.