Latest Pope Francis News
Pope urges church in Papua New Guinea to be close to women after hearing of sorcery 'superstitions'
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — Pope Francis called Saturday for the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea to be particularly close to women who have been abused and marginalized, speaking out in a country where violence against women is reported to be more than twice the global average. ...
Pope arrives in Papua New Guinea for the second leg of his Southeast Asia and Oceania trip
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — Pope Francis arrived in Papua New Guinea on Friday for the second leg of his four-nation trip through Southeast Asia and Oceania, becoming the second pope to visit the poor, strategically important South Pacific nation. A cannon salute and...
Pope to meet Papua New Guinea Catholics who embrace both Christianity and Indigenous beliefs
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Pope Francis’s visit to Papua New Guinea will take him to a remote part of the South Pacific island nation where Christianity is a recent addition to traditional spiritual beliefs developed over millennia. Francis will visit the diocese of Vanimo on...
Pope heads to Papua New Guinea after final Mass in Indonesia before an overflow crowd of 100,000
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to Indonesia on Friday after celebrating Mass before an overflow crowd of 100,000, a final celebration before heading to Papua New Guinea for the second leg of his 11-day journey through Southeast Asia and Oceania. The...
Pope and imam of Southeast Asia's largest mosque make joint call to fight violence, protect planet
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Pope Francis and the grand imam of Southeast Asia’s largest mosque vowed Thursday to fight religiously inspired violence and protect the environment, issuing a joint call for interfaith friendship and common cause at the heart of Francis’ visit to Indonesia. ...
The pope urges Indonesia to live up to its promise of 'harmony in diversity'
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health....
The AP Interview: East Timor's president says the pope's visit isn't time to dwell on past sins
DILI, East Timor (AP) — The president of East Timor sees Pope Francis' upcoming visit as a prime opportunity to promote Asia's youngest country on the world stage, not a time to confront the legacy of abuse by influential members of the clergy in the deeply Catholic nation. During...
In Asia, pope urges Indonesia to live up to promise of 'harmony in diversity,' fight extremism
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health....
AP PHOTOS: Pope Francis' Asia trip marks 60 years of papal visits to the region
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Pope Francis' visit to Southeast Asia, the longest trip in his papacy, is the latest in decades of regular papal visits to the Asia-Pacific region. Papal travel is a thing of the modern era, starting with Pope Paul VI, who became the first pontiff to leave...
Pope embarks on longest, farthest and most challenging trip to Asia, with China in the background
VATICAN CITY (AP) — If any evidence were needed to underscore that Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to Asia and Oceania is the longest, farthest and most challenging of his pontificate, it’s that he’s bringing along his secretaries to help him navigate the four-country program while keeping up...
