Vatican acquires archive of pope’s former archdiocesan TV station

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican Television Center has acquired and can distribute hundreds of hours of television images of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires from 2005 until his election as Pope Francis in March. The images were filmed by Canal 21, the television station owned by the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires; the […]

Pope creates commission to study activities, mission of Vatican bank

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has created a five-person commission to review the activities and mission of the Vatican bank. The new pontifical commission, which includes two U.S. members, reflects the pope’s desire to ensure the bank’s activities are in harmony with the mission of the universal church and the Apostolic See, said a […]

‘All of us’ are equally important in the church, pope says at audience

Read the full text of the Pope’s speech VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The stability of the church requires that it be built on Jesus, but its beauty and strength also rely on the contributions of each and every Christian, Pope Francis said. “If someone tells you, ‘Go home, you’re not needed,’ that’s not true,” the […]

Calling Syria conflict ‘great tribulation,’ pope asks for prayers, aid

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Calling the Syrian conflict “a great tribulation,” Pope Francis said tensions throughout the Middle East must give way to dialogue and reconciliation. “Once again, from the depths of my heart, I appeal to leaders of nations and international organizations, to believers of every religion and to all men and women of […]

Pope calls hunger, malnutrition ‘truly scandalous’

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — It is “truly scandalous” that the global level of food production is enough to feed the planet’s people, yet millions of people are malnourished and millions more “must be satisfied with the crumbs falling from the table,” Pope Francis said. Addressing the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization conference June 20, […]

Saying ‘our Father’ means seeing others as brothers, sisters, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Christians address God as “our Father” they acknowledge that God created and loves them, but they also recognize that all people are their brothers and sisters, Pope Francis said. “We have a Father who is very close to us, who embraces us,” the pope said June 20 during the homily […]

Conflicts among Christians harm the body of Christ, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The church is the body of Christ, but when Catholics fight among themselves or Catholics and other Christians are in conflict with one another, they make Christ's body suffer, Pope Francis said. "Don't make the body suffer with our divisions and conflicts," the pope said June 19 at his weekly general audience.

Adding St. Joseph’s name to Mass texts, popes share their devotion

UPDATED -- VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI have a special devotion to St. Joseph and have assured that devotion regularly will be shared at Mass by Catholics around the world. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments said Pope Francis confirmed a decision originally made by Pope Benedict to include St. Joseph permanently in the eucharistic prayers used at most Masses in the Latin rite. (See the text of the prayers for the Mass in English.)

Pope says false ideas of freedom spawn threats to human life

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Ideologies and practices that destroy human life arise from false ideas of freedom without God, Pope Francis told a crowd in St. Peter's Square, including thousands of pro-life activists from around the world. "Whenever we want to assert ourselves, when we become wrapped up in our own selfishness and put ourselves in the place of God, we end up spawning death," the pope said in his homily during the Mass June 16.

Pope urges G-8 leaders to put politics, economics at service of poor, unborn people

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The goal of politics and economics is to serve all of humanity, starting with the poorest, the most vulnerable and the unborn, Pope Francis told British Prime Minister David Cameron, president of the Group of Eight industrialized nations. "Money and other political and economic means must serve, not rule," the pope said, adding that "in a seemingly paradoxical way, free and disinterested solidarity is the key to the smooth functioning of the global economy."