His Holiness, the soccer fan, asks players to be real role models

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With admiration and big smiles all around, the lifelong soccer fan Pope Francis met the star players and coaches of the Argentine and Italian national soccer teams hoping to compete for the World Cup in 2014.

What would Jesus say?

The saying, "you can't make everyone happy," is especially true of the remarks made about Pope Francis' recent visit to Brazil to celebrate World Youth Day.

Latin American youth moved to take church to the streets following WYD

SAO PAULO (CNS) -- The nearly 3 million pilgrims who swept across Copacabana beach during the six-day celebration of World Youth Day returned home at the beginning of August with "clear instructions" from the Pope Francis. "Go against the tide," Pope Francis told the crowds on several occasions during the six-day celebration. "I ask you to be revolutionaries. ... Go beyond the church's walls. ... Go onto the streets, to poor communities. Don't be afraid to go and bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem the farthest away."

Local World Youth Day events offer solidarity with pilgrims in Rio

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (CNS) -- Hundreds of teens came together at a Catholic high school in Chicago Heights to pray, to learn about their faith and to be in solidarity with young people from around the world who came together at the same time with Pope Francis at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

Future of youth is ours, too

On his way to lead up to 2 million enthusiastic young people from all around the globe at World Youth Day festivities in Rio de Janeiro July 23-28, Pope Francis sounded a somber note about their future -- and everyone else's too.

Youths speak of what they’re searching for on sands of Rio

Approximately 250 pilgrims from the Philadelphia, Washington and Arlington dioceses were looking for a safe place to spend the night when Catholic News Service met up with them on a side street in the Copacabana neighborhood at 10 p.m. Although Pope Francis' address had been over for hours and the Neocatechumenal Way group had just walked almost six miles, they were still in high spirits, singing as they slowly moved along.

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.

Local youths depart for World Youth Day

A delegation of young people from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia departed on a pilgrimage to Brazil on Monday, July 22 From St. David Parish in Willow Grove to participate in World Youth Day (WYD) with Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro through next week.

A Church united

On July 5, Pope Francis released his first encyclical, a newsworthy event in itself, but then he knocked himself from the headlines by approving the sainthood causes of two of his renowned predecessors. If the rapid-fire announcements seemed unusual, well, that should come as no surprise from a pope who keeps doing things his way.

Papal menu planners try to keep it simple yet sweet for World Youth Day

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Sweet and simple: That's the menu plan for Pope Francis when he stays at a church-run residence during his visit to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day.