Formalising their unity in the intimate setting of the papal residence’s chapel, Pope Francis and Melkite Patriarch Joseph Absi have concelebrated Mass together in the presence of members of the Melkite synod of bishops. Instead of giving a homily at the February 13 early morning Mass, Pope Francis explained the special nature of Patriarch Absi’s…
Pope Francis has said that the faithful who attend Mass lack a fundamental right if they do not receive a well-prepared and well-preached homily. Speaking in St Peter’s Square during his weekly general address on Ash Wednesday, the Pontiff said that in the Liturgy of the Word, the Lord speaks for both pastors and faithful,…
Pope Francis received a victim’s letter in 2015 that graphically detailed how a priest sexually abused him and how other Chilean clergy ignored it, contradicting the Pope’s recent insistence that no victims had come forward to denounce the cover-up, the letter’s author and members of Francis’s own sex- abuse commission have told the Associated Press (AP).…
The president of the German Bishops’ Conference has said that he could foresee a situation where priests would bless same-sex couples. Cardinal Reinhard Marx told the Bavarian State Broadcasting’s radio service that “there can be no rules” about this question. Rather, the decision of whether a homosexual union should receive the Church’s blessing should be…
In a rare new letter penned by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the retired pontiff said he is in the last phase of his life, and while his physical strength might be waning, he is surrounded by a “love and goodness” that he never imagined. “I can only say that at the end of a slow…
With at least six people dead after a deadly earthquake and series of aftershocks in Taiwan, Pope Francis has sent a telegram assuring of his prayer for the victims and those engaged in rescue efforts. Signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and addressed to Bishop Philip Huang Chao-ming of Hwalien, the February…
A Vatican spokesman has insisted that a Rome-based conference which is due to be addressed by former President Mary McAleese is not an official Holy See event. It comes amidst media reports that Mrs McAleese has been barred from speaking at the Vatican by Irishman Cardinal Kevin Farrell over her opposition to the Church’s teaching…
Cody Weddle The strenuous relationship between the Venezuelan regime and local Church leaders deteriorated further in January, with President Nicolas Maduro calling two bishops “devils in a cassock.” During his comments to the pro-government National Constituent Assembly on January 15, Maduro also ordered the attorney general to investigate the bishops for hate crimes. “One…
People should be willing to “open their hearts and minds” to Scripture readings at Mass said Pope Francis, because it allows us to hear God directly speak to his people. Continuing his series of audience talks about Mass, Pope Francis spoke today about the Liturgy of the Word and the importance of listening to the…
Pope Francis emphasised that remembering the Holocaust helps us overcome “so many deplorable forms of apathy towards our neighbour” in a speech at a conference in Rome. Addressing participants of the Rome International Conference on Responsibility of States Institutions and Individuals in the Fight against Anti-Semitism in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe…
Colm Fitzpatrick