Pope Francis

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Catholic School Fires Pregnant, Unwed Teacher

She 'failed to follow Catholic lifestyle'

(Newser) - An unmarried Montana schoolteacher who became pregnant is now unemployed because she failed to "follow a lifestyle in line with Catholic teachings," the diocese says. Shaela Evenson, who has taught literature and physical education to sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders for nine years, was sacked from a private school...

Pope Francis Scores Rolling Stone Cover

Plus: Rome graffiti shows him as Superman

(Newser) - Pope Francis, pop culture icon? So it seems. He's the 266th pope to hold his job—but the first to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, NDTV notes. The magazine's article , by Mark Binelli, calls Francis "a man whose obvious humility, empathy and, above all, devotion...

Mafia 'Hit' on 3-Year-Old Rattles Italy

'Coco' Campolongo was gunned down with his grandfather

(Newser) - Little Nicola "Coco" Campolongo has become the latest focal point in Italy for anger against the mafia. As the Daily Beast explains, the toddler was executed along with his grandfather and his grandfather's companion over an apparent drug debt. The killers shot all three in the head, and...

Bird Thugs Attack Pope's 'Peace Doves'

Seagull, crow apparently didn't get the peace memo

(Newser) - It was supposed to be a nice moment: Pope Francis, in the course of calling for calm in the Ukraine today, had a couple of little kids release two doves over St. Peter's Square in a gesture of peace. But apparently in the animal world, as in the human...

Pope May Visit Philadelphia, NYC Next Year

He might attend families forum, address UN

(Newser) - It looks like Pope Francis is coming to the US next year. The National Catholic Reporter quotes Vatican sources as saying Francis hopes to attend the 2015 World Meeting of Families, which runs from Sept. 22-27 in Philadelphia. But don't expect confirmation until the event draws near, part of...

'Secret Gay Society' Imperils Pope: Ex-Swiss Guard

Elmar Mader accepts homosexuals but questions their loyalty

(Newser) - A gay lobby indeed exists at the Vatican and may pose a threat to Pope Francis, a former commander of the Swiss Guard tells a Swiss newspaper. "I cannot refute the claim that there is a network of homosexuals," said Elmar Mader, a Guard commandant from 2002 to...

Benedict Defrocked 400 Pedophile Priests in 2 Years

Numbers spiked dramatically in 2011-12, says AP

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests over just two years for sexually molesting children, according to a document obtained by the AP . The statistics for 2011 and 2012 show a dramatic increase over the 171 priests removed in 2008 and 2009, when the Vatican first provided details on the...

Pope Francis Is a &#39;Political Genius&#39;

 Pope Francis Is 
 a 'Political Genius' 
OPINION
Jan 17, 2014 1:15 PM CST

Pope Francis Is a 'Political Genius'

And Obama should pay attention: Politico Magazine

(Newser) - He's known for his humility , his down-to-earth nature, his personal phone calls to the flock, and even his selfies . But is Pope Francis actually a "political genius"? Yes, writes Candida Moss at Politico Magazine . "Herein lies the genius of Pope Francis’s papacy: He has persuaded...

Pope: Abortion a 'Horrific' Part of 'Throwaway Culture'

We don't place enough value on life, he says

(Newser) - Abortion is a sign of a "throwaway culture" that doesn't place enough value on goods or human life, Pope Francis said yesterday in his strongest words on the subject in his 10-month papacy. "Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often...

Pope: Go Ahead, Breastfeed in Sistine Chapel

He baptizes 32 babies in annual event

(Newser) - In keeping with his down-to-earth style, Pope Francis encouraged mothers to breastfeed their babies in the grand surroundings of the Sistine Chapel yesterday. The pontiff did his best to put families with crying babies at ease as he baptized 32 infants under Michelangelo's famous fresco of the creation of...

With Eye to Poor, Francis Picks 19 New Cardinals

Some surprises among pope's first round

(Newser) - Pope Francis has named his first batch of cardinals, choosing 19 men from Asia, Africa, North and South America and elsewhere, including Haiti and Burkino Faso, to reflect his attention to the poor. Francis made the announcement today as he spoke from his studio window to a crowd in St....

Pope: No More 'Monsignor' for Most Priests

Francis aims to further simplify honorifics

(Newser) - Pope Francis has done away with the honorific title "monsignor" for all but a few priests, further evidence of his desire for priests to be simple, humble servants. The Vatican's secretary of state sent a letter to its embassies asking them to inform bishops' conferences of the change....

Pope Will Head to Holy Land

Francis announces his 1st trip abroad for new year

(Newser) - Pope Francis has announced that he will travel to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan May 24-26. The visit marks the pope's first trip to the Holy Land and is so far his only foreign travel planned for 2014. Francis told people gathered in the rain for his weekly...

Pope to Nuns: Hey, Pick Up, It's Me

Francis has to leave a voice message

(Newser) - Pope Francis has made another memorable cold call , this time to a group of nuns in a Spanish convent. Problem is, they didn't pick up. "What are the nuns doing that they can't answer the phone?" Francis asked in the message he left, the recording of which...

Pope: Badly Trained Priests Can Be 'Little Monsters'

Thought gives him 'goose bumps,' says Francis

(Newser) - A comment by Pope Francis regarding the training of young priests is likely to resonate with critics of the Catholic Church. The statement, made in a closed-door session with the leaders of religious orders from around the world:
  • "We must form their hearts," Francis said of men in
...

Crowds Exploded Under Pope Francis

Pope drew 6.6M to Vatican in 2013

(Newser) - Pope Francis drew more than 6.6 million people to his audiences, Masses, and other Vatican events in 2013, more than twice as many as his predecessor Benedict XVI did in his first year as pope in 2005—2.85 million. The statistics released yesterday cover only events held at...

Billy Graham's Kid: Pope 'Not the Judge' of Homosexuality

'God is,' and 'this is sin,' says Franklin Graham

(Newser) - Amid talk of his father's failing health , Franklin Graham today waded into the topic of homosexuality and the current pope, telling Meet the Press that Francis was "right when he said he's not the judge . He's not the judge. God is the judge." Graham added...

Francis Cheers Jesus&#39; Humble Start
 Francis Cheers 
 Jesus' Humble Start 
CHRISTMAS EVE MASS
Dec 24, 2013 5:22 PM CST

Francis Cheers Jesus' Humble Start

Pope celebrates first Christmas Eve mass at Vatican

(Newser) - The Vatican's popular new guy is celebrating his first Christmas Eve mass at St. Peter's Basilica, and Pope Francis took the occasion to continue to draw from his themes of humility and charity toward society's poor and vulnerable. Emphasizing Jesus Christ's quite humble beginnings, he said,...

88% of US Catholics Approve of Pope

And some 75% of Americans like Francis

(Newser) - American Catholics are big fans of the new pope, with some 88% approving of the job Pope Francis is doing, a CNN/ORC International poll finds. ( Eat your heart out, Congress .) As for the country as a whole, CNN reports that about three in four Americans has a positive...

Duck Dynasty Guy Should Learn From Pope Francis

EJ Dionne argues that religious people should be less convinced they have the answers

(Newser) - Phil Robertson is convinced the word of God justifies his controversial comments about homosexuality. Rev. Frank Schaefer is convinced that performing gay weddings was an expression of Christian love. "If any given religion and its holy writings can be used to support diametrically opposed conclusions about how to live...

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