Sep 30 Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals to help carry out Catholic Church reforms By Nicole Winfield, Trisha Thomas, Associated Press Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals at a ritual-filled ceremony Saturday, including key figures at the Vatican and in the field who will help enact his reforms and cement his legacy as he enters a crucial new phase in running the… Continue reading
Sep 23 Visiting France, Pope Francis challenges European nations to open ports to migrants By Nicole Winfield, Sylvie Corbet, Trisha Thomas, Associated Press For a second straight day in the French port city of Marseille, Francis took aim at European countries that have used “alarmist propaganda” to justify closing their doors to migrants, and tried to shame them into responding with charity instead. Continue reading
Sep 22 Watch 3:50 News Wrap: Tropical Storm Ophelia expected to bring flooding to East Coast In our news wrap Friday, Tropical Storm Ophelia barreled toward the East Coast, with expected landfall Saturday morning in North Carolina. Also, a judge at Guantanamo Bay has declared one of the defendants in the 9/11 attacks case unfit for… Continue watching
Sep 20 Pope Francis goes to Marseille to show solidarity with migrants, but will Europe listen amid an influx? By Nicole Winfield, Trisha Thomas, Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press The future, he said this past weekend about his upcoming trip to Marseille, “will only be prosperous if it is built on fraternity, putting human dignity, real people and especially the most needy, first.”… Continue reading
Sep 02 Pope Francis praises Mongolia for centuries of religious freedom as he starts his visit By Saruul Enkhbold Associated Press and Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis on Saturday praised Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom dating to the times of its founder, Genghis Khan, as he opened the first-ever papal visit to the Asian nation with a word of encouragement to its tiny Catholic flock. Continue reading
Aug 30 Pope heads to Mongolia in centuries-old diplomatic exchange By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press In some ways, he will be completing a mission begun by the 13th- century Pope Innocent IV, who dispatched a series of emissaries east with letters to ascertain the intentions of the expanding Mongol Empire. Continue reading
Aug 28 Pope Francis denounces 'backward' attitudes of conservatives in U.S. Catholic Church By Associated Press The Pope said those conservatives have replaced faith with ideology and that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time. Continue reading
Aug 07 Pope Francis explains off-the-cuff remarks and peace prayer during Portugal trip By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis says his recovery from his latest abdominal surgery is going well. Continue reading
Aug 05 Pope Francis cuts appearances at youth vigil, Catholic shrine short amid Portugal heat By Nicole Winfield, Barry Hatton, Pietro Decristofaro, Associated Press An estimated 1.5 million young people filled a field in the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Saturday for Pope Francis’ World Youth Day vigil, braving scorching heat to secure a spot for the evening prayer and to camp out overnight for… Continue reading
Aug 03 Pope Francis meets with survivors of clergy sex abuse in Portugal By Nicole Winfield, Helena Alves, Barry Hatton, Associated Press After arriving in Lisbon for the Catholic Church's World Youth Day festival, Francis also blasted members of Portugal's Catholic hierarchy for their response to the country's sex abuse scandal. Continue reading