Tag: pope
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Pope announces decision on married priests Feb. 12
The Vatican on Friday said Pope Francis will on Feb. 12 release a document in response to a proposal to allow married men into the priesthood. The proposal is strictly limited to the Amazon region. It was made in October by a summit of bishops, known as a synod, in order to deal with a…
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Pope to Pope: Don’t allow married men into priesthood
Former pope Benedict XVI has publicly urged his successor Pope Francis not to open the Catholic priesthood up to married men, in a plea that stunned Vatican experts. The ex-pontiff, who retired in 2013, issued the defence of clerical celibacy in a book written with arch-conservative Cardinal Robert Sarah, extracts of which were published exclusively…
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Pope apologizes for slapping woman on New Year’s Eve
Pope Francis apologised Wednesday for his widely-viewed slap of a woman who had grabbed his hand as he greeted Catholic faithful on New Year’s Eve. The image of Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of the admirer was an instant hit on social media. A personal apology followed. “We lose patience many times,”…
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Xmas: Pope calls for peace, urges world leaders to end conflicts in Africa, other troubled states
Pope Francis urged the world to let the light of Christmas pierce the “darkness in human hearts” that leads to religious persecution, social injustice, armed conflicts and fear of migrants. In his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) Christmas Day message, the 83-year-old pope called for peace in the Holy Land, Syria,…
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Pope abolishes ‘pontifical secrecy’ for sex abuse investigations
Pope Francis on Tuesday announced sweeping changes to the way the Roman Catholic Church deals with cases of sexual abuse of minors, abolishing the rule of “pontifical secrecy” that previously covered them. Two documents issued by the pope back practices that have been in place in some countries, particularly the U.S., such as reporting suspicion…
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Pope commends Morocco for accepting migrants
Pope Francis has commended the people and government of Morocco for accepting and being hospitable to migrants. The Pope who was on a two day visit to Morocco gave the commendation at a grand reception organised for him at Esplanade Mausoleum in Rabat. The Pope assured migrants that the church was aware and shared in…
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Sex abuse: Pope defrocks 88-year old Cardinal McCarrick
In a first for the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has defrocked a former cardinal over accusations American Theodore McCarrick sexually abused a teenager 50 years ago, a Vatican statement said Saturday. McCarrick, 88, who resigned from the Vatican’s College of Cardinals in July, is the first cardinal ever to be defrocked for sex abuse.…
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Pope talks tough, says ‘better to be an atheist than a hypocritical Christian’
Pope Francis has criticised hypocrites in the Catholic Church during his general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday. “How often do we see the scandals of these people who go to church and are there every day, and then they lead a life in which they hate others or talk badly about other people. “Better…
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Pope finally auctions Lamborghini gift, donates £715,000 proceeds to charities
A Lamborghini Huracán gifted to Pope Francis was sold for €715,000 (N308m) at the Sotheby auction held on Saturday, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, and the proceeds will be donated to four charities, reveals Lamborghini. The proceeds from the sale according to the Lamborghini website will be directly handed over to the head of…
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Vatican speaks on Pope Francis ‘Hell does not exist’ comment
Three days before Easter, the Vatican tried to tamp down a firestorm over a comment attributed to Pope Francis that hell “does not exist,” which would mark a historic break with teachings of the Catholic Church. The Vatican on Thursday rebuked Eugenio Scalfari, 93, a well-known Italian journalist who is the founder of Italy’s La…