Feb 12 Catholic bishop’s 26-year prison sentence in Nicaragua draws concern from Pope By Associated Press Pope Francis on Sunday expressed sadness and worry at the news that Bishop Rolando Álvarez, an outspoken critic of the Nicaraguan government, had been sentenced to 26 years in prison in the latest move against the Catholic Church and government… Continue reading
Feb 03 Pope urges peace on visit to South Sudan as continued fighting in the country kills 27 By Nicole Winfield, Deng Machol, Associated Press JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Pope Francis has landed in South Sudan, opening the second and final leg of his African pilgrimage with plans to encourage the young country's stalled peace process. Continue reading
Jan 31 Pope’s Africa trip spotlights conflict, church’s future By Nicole Winfield, Jean-Yves Kamale, Christina Malkia, Associated Press Aid groups are hoping Francis’ trip will shine a spotlight on two of the world’s forgotten conflicts and rekindle international attention on some of Africa’s worst humanitarian crises. Continue reading
Jan 25 Watch 5:33 Pope Francis says laws that criminalize homosexuality are ‘unjust’ By Geoff Bennett, Karina Cuevas Pope Francis, in a wide-ranging interview with the Associated Press, spoke at length about his health, his critics and the future of the papacy. Most notably, he called laws criminalizing homosexuality fundamentally unjust and said being homosexual is not a… Continue watching
Jan 25 Pope Francis says homosexuality is a sin but not a crime By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis has criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as "unjust," saying God loves all his children just as they are. Continue reading
Jan 05 Watch 6:14 The controversial legacy Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI leaves behind By Nick Schifrin, Teresa Cebrian Aranda Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was celebrated Thursday at a funeral mass in St. Peter's Square with his successor, Pope Francis, presiding. Though retired nearly a decade, Benedict was a leading light for conservatives in the church. Others look at his… Continue watching
Jan 02 A timeline of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s life By Associated Press Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the first pope in 600 years to resign, has died. Here are highlights from his life. Continue reading
Dec 31 Benedict XVI, pope who resigned to spend final years in quiet, dies at 95 By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday. Continue reading
Oct 11 Committee head says Portugal church sex abuse was ‘widespread’ By Barry Hatton, Associated Press The head of a lay committee looking into historic child sex abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church says the problem in the past had been "widespread" and on some occasions reached "truly endemic" proportions. Continue reading
Aug 21 Pope calls for ‘dialogue’ over bishop’s detention in Nicaragua By Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press Pope Francis voiced worry Sunday about the situation in Nicaragua, where police detained several Roman Catholic clergy, including a bishop, critical of President Daniel Ortega’s administration. Continue reading