The Vatican is downplaying media reports that Pope Francis “will play himself” in an upcoming film. The film production company ENVI Pictures issued a statement on Monday saying Pope Francis will appear in the film “Beyond the Sun”. The Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications, Msgr Dario Edoardo Viganò, said “the Pope is not an Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis’
Pope under fire for praising China in interview
Friday, February 5th, 2016Pope Francis has come under criticism for lavishing praise on China, but not mentioning human rights issues and restrictions on Christians. In an interview with the Asia Times, the Pontiff said the world need not fear China’s growing power. Francis said China had always been, for him, a “reference point of greatness” and “a great Read more
Pope sounds warning about ignoring poor and going to hell
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016
In a Lenten message strong on mercy, Pope Francis has warned the wealthy and powerful that if they ignore the poor, they risk hell. The Pope’s message for Lent 2016 warned about the corrupting influence of money and power. And it pointing out that caring for the poor, and not just praying for them, is Read more
Lutheran bishop receives communion at St Peter’s Basilica
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016
A Lutheran bishop and some other Lutherans received Catholic communion at a Mass at St Peter’s Basilica last month. The National Catholic Register reported sources stating that Bishop Samuel Salmi of Oulu in Finland and other Finnish Lutherans indicated to the Catholic priests at the Mass that they wanted a blessing. They reportedly tried to Read more
Pope’s post-synod document on family life to come in March
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation on family life will be published in March, a Vatican official says. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, said this in an interview with a Portuguese Catholic agency. Archbishop Paglia said the document will “show that the Church is close to families in all stages of Read more
Pope opens Jubilee Holy Door at St John Lateran basilica
Friday, December 18th, 2015
Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome on Sunday, saying doing so was an “invitation to joy”. On the same day Holy Doors were opened throughout cathedrals and churches around the world to mark the start of the Year of Mercy. Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Read more
Is Pope Francis avoiding meeting powerful Milan cardinal?
Friday, December 18th, 2015
The postponement of Pope Francis’s visit to Milan next year has sparked speculation that the Pontiff is avoiding meeting Cardinal Angelo Scola. The Vatican press office announced that the papal pastoral visits to Milan and other Italian dioceses next year were postponed. The reason cited is the demands on the Pope’s schedule during the jubilee Read more
Lutheran pastor says Pope opened door to intercommunion
Friday, December 18th, 2015
Rome’s Lutheran pastor and many in his flock believe Pope Francis has opened the door for intercommunion between Catholics and Lutherans. Pastor Jens Kruse of Rome’s Evangelical Lutheran Church told the National Catholic Register that Lutherans has felt this door was closed “for an eternity”. But last month, during a visit to Pastor Kruse’s church, Read more
Pope accepts resignation of drink-driving bishop
Friday, December 18th, 2015Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Brazilian Bishop Paulo Sérgio Machado, who was involved in an alleged drink-driving incident. Bishop Machado was the ordinary of São Carlos, a city of 220,000 in south-eastern Brazil. In September, the bishop was stopped by police after he exhibited signs of intoxication while driving and almost hit a Read more
Francis restores Rota’s power that JPII restricted
Friday, December 18th, 2015Pope Francis has restored a capacity to the Vatican’s main marriage court that had been restricted by St John Paul II. In a December 7 rescript, Francis allowed the Roman Rota to grant an annulment even if the grounds for doing so weren’t the ones originally specified in the case under review. Before 1994, the Read more