Latest Roman Catholicism News
Pope accuses critics of exploiting Pope Benedict XVI's death
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis accused some of his critics Sunday of taking advantage of retired Pope Benedict XVI’s death to score ideological points in the latest salvo in the partisan divide of the Catholic Church. During an airborne news conference returning from...
Ireland celebrates 'matron saint' with prayers, new holiday
KILDARE, Ireland (AP) — St. Patrick has long received the attention and the big parades, but another patron saint of Ireland is making a 21st century comeback. St. Brigid of Kildare, a younger contemporary of St. Patrick, is quietly and steadily gaining a following, in Ireland and...
'Hands off Africa!': Pope blasts foreign plundering of Congo
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Pope Francis demanded Tuesday that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources for the “poison of their own greed” as he arrived in Congo to a raucous welcome by Congolese grateful he was focusing the world’s attention on their forgotten plight. ...
The AP Interview takeaways: Pope decries expanding gun use
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis lamented that the use of guns by civilians to defend themselves is becoming a “habit.” In an interview on Tuesday with The Associated Press, the pontiff, who has frequently criticized the arms industry, was asked about the large number of guns...
The AP Interview: Pope says homosexuality not a crime
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,”...
Pope discusses his health, his critics and future of papacy
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis says he hasn’t considered issuing norms to regulate future papal resignations and plans to continue for as long as he can as bishop of Rome, despite a wave of criticism from some top-ranking conservative cardinals and bishops about his papal priorities. ...
Pope warns German church reform process elitist, ideological
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has warned there’s a risk that a reform process in the German Catholic Church over calls for married priests and other possible liberalizing reforms might become harmfully “ideological.” In an interview with The Associated Press at the Vatican...
Historic Black churches receive $4M in preservation grants
NEW YORK (AP) — Administrators of a trust fund established to preserve historic Black churches in the United States on Friday revealed a list of houses of worship receiving $4 million in financial grants. The list of 35 grantees includes 16th Street Baptist Church Inc. in...
Sri Lanka church seeks criminal justice for Easter bombings
Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church urged the country Friday to criminally prosecute its former leader for negligence, a day after the top court ordered him to pay compensation to the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed nearly 270 people. Two local Muslim groups that...
EXPLAINER: Benedict's funeral to be simple, but with pomp
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI held one of the world's highest-profile positions but in his final years expressed a desire to be “hidden to the world.” While his body had been on display this week for three days, his funeral Thursday will at least in part respect his wishes for...
