Tags: pope

Pope Francis canonises Argentina’s first female saint, ‘Mama Antula’

Pope Francis canonised Argentina’s first female saint, María Antonia of St Joseph — known affectionately in the Pope’s home country as ‘Mama Antula’ — in a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday. Argentina’s President Javier Milei sat in the front row to the Pope’s right during the canonisation on February 11 and embraced the…

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Pope says slapping kids ok (again)

The German Child Protection Association has criticised Pope Francis for his comments on the beating of children. “There is no justification for beating children, not even a papal one,” said Daniel Grein, Federal Director of the Child Protection Association, in Berlin. “Anyone who physically abuses a child is doing the wrong thing. This also includes…

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In Short

Kerry diocese keeps ‘hope alive’ with mission The diocese of Kerry has launched its online mission, ‘Hope Alive!’, from January 21 to 24. Well-known humanitarian Adi Roche headlines the mission and will reflect on what it means to welcome the stranger on Sunday, January 21, at 8pm. Guest speakers include Fr Michael Conway, Dr Keith…

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Francis’s company at St Mary Major captures contrasts and contradictions of papal history

Pope Francis revealed his intention to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of St Mary Major, reflecting his intense personal devotion to Mary and the famed icon of Salus Populi Romani contained in its Borghese chapel. Francis thus will become the sixth pontiff to be interred in the basilica, joining Pius V, Sixtus V, Paul V, Clement IX…

Even if the Pope changes conclave rules, don’t say it hasn’t happened before

Letter From Rome H.L. Mencken once famously quipped that love is like war, in that it’s easy to begin but very hard to stop. Had Mencken plied his journalistic trade in the internet age, he might well have added rumours to that list, which are notoriously easy these days to put into circulation and virtually…