President Obama publicly thanked Pope Francis for helping facilitate the beginning of normalised relations between the US and Cuba. The president’s comments came, Thursday, on a nationally televised address. Obama said Pope Francis wrote to both Cuban president Raul Castro and himself urging them to find a way to resolve Cuba’s imprisonment of US citizen Read more
Anthony Fisher, the new Archbishop of Sydney, is at odds with the Church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council. In an opinion piece in the Australian newspaper, Monday, Archbishop Fisher seemed to distance himself from the Council’s view that “Obligatory celibacy may also have contributed to abuse in some circumstances”. The Truth Justice and Healing Council Read more
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott refuses to link hostage taker Man Haron Monis with Islam. “We don’t blame the Pope for the IRA, and we don’t blame the Catholics living next door for the folly of some people, the folly and madness of some people who may claim a Christian motivation. And I think we Read more
The Vatican is ready to help the US as it looks to close Guantanamo Bay prison. The offer came during a meeting on Tuesday, between Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and US Secretary of State, John Kerry, held at the Vatican. The Vatican stood ready to “help find adequate humanitarian solutions through our international contacts”, Read more
At Mass in Casa Santa Marta on Monday, Pope Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel reading, in which the chief priests asked Jesus by what authority He did His works. This was a demand that demonstrates the “hypocritical heart” of those people, Pope Francis said. They were people who were not interested in the truth, Read more
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang expressed his appreciation for Pope Francis’ decision not to meet with the Dalai Lama. Qin said Monday that China had “noticed” the Holy See’s attitude. China is always sincere about improving relations with Vatican, Qin said. “China will continue to hold constructive dialogue with the Holy See,” Qin said, Read more
Pope Francis got a cake, cards and a tango demonstration for his 78th birthday Wednesday — and 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of chicken meat for the poor. Argentinian Pope Francis was born in the birthplace of the tango on 17 December 1936. The Vatican said Wednesday the meat, provided by a Spanish producer, would be Read more
Jeb (John Ellis) Bush plans to actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States of America. He announced his interest on Facebook. Bush is the former two-term Florida Governor is son of President George H Bush and brother of George W Bush. In January, Jeb Bush plans to establish a leadership PAC to Read more
Despite a postponed vote last month, a German prelate has said he is confident the country’s bishops will change Church rules to allow employment of remarried divorcees and men and women living in same-sex relationships, despite growing opposition to the move. Archbishop Stephan Burger of Freiburg im Breisgau said the German bishops’ conference “will revise” Read more
Pope Francis is opening the doors to an earthly paradise: the working farm at the papal summer residence here that produces the dairy, meat and vegetables for the pope and his staff. The Vatican is planning to open the farm at Castel Gandolfo to the public next year, after finding success with its guided tours Read more