Pope Francis has returned a fragment of wood believed to have formed part of Jesus’s manger to Bethlehem after about 1,400 years in Europe. The relic has most recently been at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. It is said “a very large number of pilgrims from all over the world” went to the Basilica Read more
Pope Francis, Thursday, appointed Carmelo Barbagallo as president of the Vatican’s financial watchdog, the Financial Information Authority (AIF). Barbagallo, 63 is an auditor and Italian banking consultant in the areas of banking, financial supervision and Single Supervisory Mechanism. Previously he was head of the banking and financial supervision department of the Bank of Italy. “I Read more
Pope Francis says he is considering working on an encyclical letter on nonviolence. He discussed the possibility with reporters during his return flight to Rome after his week-long trip to Thailand and Japan. “The plan exists, but the next pope will do it.” The encyclical is one of many “projects in the drawer” that are Read more
Pope Francis has made four new appointments to the Pontifical Council for Culture. All are women. Sr Dominica Dipio, MSMMC, professor of literature at the Makerere University of Kampala, Uganda; Sr Mariella Mascitelli, PDDM, an architect specialising in architecture and art for the liturgy, Italy; Maud de Beauchesne-Cassanet, head of the Department of Religious Art Read more
Pope Francis’ visit to Thailand ended on a missionary note. In a country where Catholics represent less than 1% of the population, Francis called on these modern missionaries in Thailand to give Christianity a fresh face. “As I prepared for this meeting, I read, with some pain, that for many people Christianity is a foreign Read more
An Argentine bishop wanted for alleged sex abuse offences has been living at the Vatican’s Domus Santa Marta. This is the same hotel where Pope Francis lives. Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta is accused of sexually abusing two seminarians. The seminarians also say he mismanaged the diocese’s finances and abused his power. The bishop was criminally charged Read more
An important way to oppose the plague of religious fundamentalism is through interreligious dialogue, says Pope Francis. It is an effective means of countering accusations that religions sow division, he told representatives from the Argentine Institute for Interreligious Dialogue this week. In “today’s precarious world, dialogue among religions is not a weakness. It finds its Read more
In a video message to the people of Japan, Pope Francis says he prays that nuclear weapons will never again be used. The message was released prior to Francis’ visit to Japan, November 23-26. Japan “is very aware of the suffering caused by war,” the pope said in his native Spanish. “Together with you, I Read more
As Pope Francis prepares to embark on his fourth trip to Asia in the seventh year of his pontificate, he is delivering in a big way on the promise he made shortly after his election that he would make Asia a key focus of his papacy. When he appointed Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle as head Read more
Galileo ran afoul of the Inquisition in 1633 when he was found “vehemently suspect of heresy.” His heresy? Declaring the heliocentric view of the solar system: that the earth revolves around the sun. His punishment was lighter than many others who faced the Inquisition. He was “only” sentenced to house arrest until his death in Read more