Mar 15 Vatican bars same-sex union blessing, says God ‘can’t bless sin’ By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press The Vatican's orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal response Monday to a question about whether Catholic clergy can bless gay unions. Its conclusion was "negative."… Continue reading
Mar 07 Where IS ruled, pope calls on Christians to forgive, rebuild By Nicole Winfield, Samya Kullab, Associated Press Pope Francis urged Iraq’s Christians on Sunday to forgive the injustices against them by Muslim extremists and to rebuild as he visited the wrecked shells of churches and met ecstatic crowds in the community’s historic heartland, which was nearly erased… Continue reading
Mar 06 Pope, top Iraq Shiite cleric deliver message of coexistence By Nicole Winfield, Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press Pope Francis walked through a narrow alley in Iraq’s holy city of Najaf for a historic meeting with the country’s top Shiite cleric Saturday, and together they delivered a powerful message of peaceful coexistence in a country still reeling from… Continue reading
Mar 05 Pope arrives in Iraq to rally Christians despite pandemic By Nicole Winfield, Samya Kullab, Associated Press Pope Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday to urge the country’s dwindling number of Christians to stay put and help rebuild the country after years of war and persecution, brushing aside the coronavirus pandemic and security concerns to make his… Continue reading
Feb 20 Pope, others hail Italian health workers on COVID anniversary By Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press Pope Francis and Italy’s president on Saturday marked a newly established annual day to honor doctors, nurses and other health care workers, exactly one year after the nation’s first known native case of COVID-19 emerged. Continue reading
Jan 11 Watch 3:25 News Wrap: States expand COVID-19 vaccinations amid supply shortages In our news wrap Monday, states begin widening vaccination campaigns amid frustrations, Michigan bans the open carrying of guns in the state Capitol, President-elect Biden picks long-time diplomat Williams Burns for CIA director, Israel is moving forward with plans for… Continue watching
Dec 30 Argentina’s Senate passes law legalizing abortion By Associated Press The vote means that abortion will be legalized up to the 14th week of pregnancy, and also will be legal after that time in cases of rape or danger to the mother’s life. Continue reading
Nov 23 NBA players hailed by pope at Vatican for demanding justice By Tim Reynolds, Associated Press Pope Francis lauded a delegation of NBA players who met with him at the Vatican on Monday as “champions" and said he supported their work on addressing social injustice. Continue reading
Nov 13 Pope Francis congratulates Biden for winning presidential election By Will Weissert, David Crary, Associated Press President-elect Joe Biden, a lifelong Roman Catholic, spoke to Pope Francis on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump refusing to concede. Continue reading
Nov 11 Pope Francis vows to end sexual abuse after report on church cover-up By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis is vowing to rid the Catholic Church of sexual abuse and offering prayers to victims of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Continue reading