Where a Roman Catholic deacon ponders the world
Pope Francis this morning addressed diplomats from nearly 200 countries—and John Allen notes a theme that is strikingly similar to his predecessor’s: For those tempted to draw an overly sharp distinction between Pope Francis and his predecessor, the new pope offered a clear reminder today that he may have a different style than Benedict XVI, [...]
Details: As Saint Francis travelled to the East where he met Sultan Malik al-Kamil, so we hope Pope Francis “may come to Iraq to confirm us our faith and give our small community in the land of Abraham courage and hope,” said His Beatitude Mar Louis Raphael I Sako during an audience with the pontiff [...]
A deacon reader wrote to ask me that question. He said: A priest I know said that once a priest becomes a bishop (let alone pope), he ceases being a member of his religious order (thus for example, O’Malley and Chaput are no longer Capuchin Franciscans), especially since he no longer has a vow of [...]
Our surprising new pope continues to surprise. From Vatican Radio: It was announced by the Holy See Press Office on Thursday that Pope Francis will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the juvenile prison ‘Casal del Marmo’ in Rome, the same facility visited by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. The Mass [...]
Details: The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople has invited Pope Francis to travel with him to the Holy Land next year to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the embrace between Patriarch Athenagoras and Paul VI, the pioneers of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. During their private meeting, Bartholomew and Francis explored possible paths towards unity, including theological dialogue, environmental [...]
It concerns Jerónimo José Podestá, an Argentine bishop who left the priesthood to marry. One person remembers this striking detail: [Bergoglio] has been classed as a conservative. But a different picture has been painted by one of Bergoglio’s friends, a radical feminist and Catholic called Clelia Luro, who is about as far to the left [...]
Some details, from CNS: For the good of all people, the care of the poor and the future of the Earth, religions must cooperate in reminding modern men and women that God exists and has a plan for their lives and their behavior, Pope Francis said. “The Catholic Church knows the importance of promoting friendship [...]
Some think his chances have just improved. From CNS: Salvadoran clergy are hopeful that the canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero, murdered while celebrating Mass March 24, 1980, during El Salvador’s civil war, will move forward under the church’s first Latin American pope. “We are in the best of circumstances. The time is ripe for a [...]
Get used to it. More than a few people might be hearing that in the months to come, according to Rocco: Things will remain eventful… and as further evidence of how much Pope Francis is jamming into the shredder of Vatican protocol, the Catholic world might want to start getting used to a six-word phrase bound to [...]
Join the Discussions of the Year of Faith
Click here throughout the Year of Faith, as the Catholic Channel at Patheos.com invites Catholics of every age and stripe to share what they are gleaning and carrying away from this gift of timely focus.
Follow Patheos on
Copyright 2008-2013, Patheos. All rights reserved. Terms of Service | Patheos Privacy Policy | Site developed by Avalon Consulting, LLC
Follow Patheos
Catholic: