Jan 01 Pope doubles down on abortion in New Year's Day message, calls for commitment to protect life By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis ushered in the New Year with an appeal for the faithful to reject abortion, calling for a "firm commitment" to protect and respect life from conception to natural death. Continue reading
Dec 25 PHOTOS: Pope Francis marks Christmas by urging all nations to silence arms and overcome divisions By Silvia Stellacci, Associated Press "I invite every individual, and all people of all nations ... to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions," the pope said from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to throngs of people below. Continue reading
Dec 24 Watch 6:43 News Wrap: American Airlines temporarily grounds flights amid busy holiday travel season In our news wrap Tuesday, American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue, a strike by Starbucks employees expanded to some 5,000 baristas, a man accused of setting a woman on fire in the New York City… Continue watching
Dec 24 Pope Francis kicks off yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's tourism By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. Continue reading
Dec 15 Pope Francis makes first-ever papal visit to French island of Corsica in the Mediterranean By Paolo Santalucia, Silvia Stellacci, Associated Press On the first papal visit ever to the French island of Corsica, Pope Francis on Sunday called for a dynamic form of laicism, promoting the kind of popular piety that distinguishes the Mediterranean island from secular France as a bridge between… Continue reading
Oct 06 Pope names 21 new cardinals, expanding pool of electors who will one day pick his successor By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis named 21 new cardinals Sunday, significantly increasing the size of the College of Cardinals and further cementing his mark on the group of prelates who will one day elect his successor. Continue reading
Sep 29 Wrapping up Belgium visit, Pope doubles down on his views and calls abortion doctors 'hitmen' By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis revisited thorny topics of his trip to Belgium during his in-flight press conference coming home, praising Belgium’s late King Baudouin as a “saint” for having abdicated for a day in 1990 rather than sign legislation legalizing abortion. Continue reading
Sep 10 How East Timor's turnout to see Pope Francis compares with other papal Masses By Associated Press An estimated 600,000 people packed a seaside park in East Timor for Pope Francis' Mass — a figure nearing half of the small Southeast Asian country's population. Continue reading
Sep 09 Pope acknowledges bishop's abuse scandal while celebrating East Timor's recovery By Nicole Winfield, Niniek Karmini, Associated Press Pope Francis has indirectly acknowledged the abuse scandal in East Timor involving its bishop and Nobel Peace Prize-winning independence hero. Continue reading
Sep 06 Pope Francis visits Papua New Guinea after overflowing Indonesia Mass By Nicole Winfield, Edna Tarigan, Associated Press Pope Francis has arrived in Papua New Guinea for the second leg of his four-nation trip through Southeast Asia and Oceania. Continue reading