No saint has a sin-free past, no sinner is hopeless, Pope says
VATICAN CITY - There is no saint without a past and no sinner without a future, Pope Francis said in his morning Mass.
Pope to migrants: Do not be robbed of hope, joy of living
VATICAN CITY - Welcoming thousands of migrants and refugees to the Vatican for their own Year of Mercy celebration, Pope Francis urged them to resist everything that would rob them of hope and joy.
Dialogue, remembrance, peace highlighted as Pope visits synagogue
ROME - While the Catholic Church affirms that salvation comes through Jesus, it also recognizes that God is faithful and has not revoked his covenant with the Jewish people, Pope Francis said.
Catholics and Lutherans to worship together at Reformation anniversary
PARIS - Catholics and Lutherans have made another step toward joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 by issuing common liturgical guidelines for ecumenical services to mark the occasion.
Vatican is not a 'den of thieves,' says top Vatican official
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican is not "a den of thieves," and such insinuations are an injustice to employees who are proud to serve the pope and the church, said Archbishop Angelo Becciu, a top official in the Vatican Secretariat of State.
Synagogue visit is chapter in Rome's unique Catholic-Jewish history
ROME - History and geography have combined to make Catholic-Jewish relations in Rome unique, both negatively and positively -- a fact highlighted by modern papal visits to the city's main synagogue just two miles from the Vatican.
Don’t waste time rehashing the past
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Jan. 24 (Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21)
The moment of true conversion of heart and mind should always be an occasion of rejoicing. Often people look back on their errant journey with shame and despondency, wasting a lot of time and energy on self-condemnation.
Only in the silence of our soul
Belgian spiritual writer Bieke Vandekerckhove comes by her wisdom honestly. She didn’t learn what she shares from a book or even primarily from the good example of others. She learned what she shares through the crucible of a unique suffering, being hit at the tender age of 19 with a terminal disease that promised not just an early death but also a complete breakdown and humiliation of her body enroute to that death.
United as God’s chosen
For the past 50 years, beginning with the 1965 Vatican II decree Nostra aetate, Catholic-Jewish dialogue has steadily improved to the point that today the relationship between Catholics and Jews has never been stronger.
Pope to teens: Don't fall for hate, fearmongers; find nice friends
VATICAN CITY - Don't fall for hate and fearmongering from others; make new friends instead and always help and show concern for others, Pope Francis told the world's teens.
Faithfulness in mercy is God's way of being, Pope says
VATICAN CITY - God's mercy is constant and limitless; he is faithful in his mercy for his children, even when they are unfaithful, Pope Francis said.