Latest Pope Francis News
Pope blames weapons industry for Russia-Ukraine war and 'martyrdom' of Ukrainian people
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday labeled the weapons industry as being a key driver of the “martyrdom” of Ukraine’s people in Russia’s war, saying even the withholding of weapons now is going to continue their misery. Francis appeared to refer to...
Ideological rifts among U.S. bishops are in the spotlight ahead of momentous Vatican meeting
NEW YORK (AP) — Early next month, the Vatican will open an unprecedented gathering of Catholic clergy and laypeople from around the world. The synod is intended to be a collegial, collaborative event, though the agenda includes divisive issues such as the role of women in the church and the...
Pope Francis insists Europe doesn't have a migrant emergency and challenges countries to open ports
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Pope Francis challenged French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders to open their ports to people fleeing hardship and poverty, insisting Saturday that the continent isn't facing a migration “emergency” but rather a long-term reality that governments...
Pope decries indifference toward migrants, as he prays for the dead in the French port of Marseille
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Pope Francis blasted the “fanaticism of indifference” that greets migrants seeking a better life in Europe, as he arrived Friday in the Mediterranean port of Marseille amid a new influx of would-be refugees from Africa that has sparked a backlash from some of...
Catholic priests bless same-sex couples in defiance of a German archbishop
BERLIN (AP) — Several Catholic priests held a ceremony blessing same-sex couples outside Cologne Cathedral on Wednesday night in a protest against the city’s conservative archbishop, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki. Their protest was triggered by Cologne church officials' criticism...
Pope goes to Marseille to talk migration, but will Europe listen as it scrambles to stem an influx?
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Ten years after Pope Francis made a landmark visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa to show solidarity with migrants, he is joining Catholic bishops from the Mediterranean this weekend in France to make the call more united. The question is whether anyone in...
In Chile, justice eludes victims of Catholic clergy sex abuse years after the crisis exploded
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Soon after she learned what happened, Helmut Kramer’s mother grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the priest out of photographs from her son’s baptism. “She kept the photos after that,” said Kramer, who was sexually abused at age 12 in a Jesuit school...
Women who say they were abused by a onetime Jesuit artist denounce an apparent rehabilitation effort
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Women who say they were abused by a once-prominent Jesuit artist said Tuesday they had been revictimized by his superiors, saying Pope Francis’ recent gestures and an apparent effort to exonerate him publicly showed church pledges of “zero tolerance” were just a...
Pope meets with new Russian ambassador as second Moscow mission planned for his Ukraine peace envoy
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russia’s new ambassador to the Vatican met Monday with Pope Francis for a protocol visit, as signs emerged that the Vatican's Ukraine peace envoy could soon be undertaking a second mission to Moscow. The Vatican said Ambassador Ivan Soltanovsky was presenting...
Pope Francis and Bill Clinton set discussion on climate change at Clinton Global Initiative
NEW YORK (AP) — Pope Francis will discuss how to address the world's pressing issues with former President Bill Clinton to open this year's Clinton Global Initiative, organizers announced Thursday. The pontiff will discuss broad issues — including climate change, the refugee...
