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Pope Francis celebrates Mass for the closing of the World Meeting of Families Sept. 27 in Philadelphia.

Serve, care for each other, Pope tells families at closing Mass

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PHILADELPHIA - Pope Francis urged the hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families to serve and care for each other as freely as God loves the human family.
Pope Francis blesses a prisoner as he visits the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia Sept. 27.

Visiting prison, pope says all people need forgiveness, cleansing

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PHILADELPHIA - While pilgrims in Philadelphia put up with a long weekend of lines and security checks at the papal venues, the pope reached out to a group of people whose lives are lines and security checks for years at a time.
Pope Francis meets with church leaders at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., Sept. 27.

Pope meets with clergy abuse victims, says crimes can't be secret

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PHILADELPHIA - Pope Francis met with a group of survivors of sexual abuse Sept. 27 and later told bishops that he was overwhelmed by a sense of embarrassment and was committed to holding accountable those who harmed children.
Pope Francis delivers an address from Independence Hall in Philadelphia Sept. 26.

Pope's message on immigrants shows all how to 'love more, love better'

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PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller believes Pope Francis' call for the church to serve immigrants and people on the move around the world will inspire the church to respond with love and care for people seeking a new home.
Olivia Stocking-Lopez, left, and her cousin Amy Stocking harvest some of the organic vegetables to be eaten during the Food Family Faith weekend retreat in Sharon, Ont.

A celebration of food, family and faith

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SHARON, ONT. - A group gathers under the full moon at Regina Mundi Renewal Centre on a Saturday evening in late August. They light up the night with candles. The flames illuminate faces that include a grandfather and granddaughters, teens and their parents, small families and large ones — people of all ages.

One of the 80 plots at Villa St. Joseph Retreat and Ecology Centre at harvest time.

Villa St. Joseph stresses care for God’s creation

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Even before Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ was released to the world in June, Villa St. Joseph Retreat and Ecology Centre in Cobourg, Ont., was teaching others about the importance of caring for all of God’s creation.

Paulist Father Thomas Ryan says when we live out of gratitude, “life becomes very sweet.”

Life’s too short: face up to aging

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EDMONTON - Paulist Father Thomas Ryan was turning 50 when he decided he didn’t want just another birthday cake, a scoop of ice cream and “Happy Birthday” sung to him.

Pope Francis looks out to the crowd as he arrives to give an address from Independence Hall in Philadelphia Sept. 26.

Pope at his witty best in praising family life

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PHILADELPHIA - A re-energized Pope Francis delighted tens of thousands of people crowded onto a thoroughfare in the city center on Saturday, delivering a folksy, off-the-cuff riff on family life that came late in the evening, and at the end of a long day of speeches and festivities that by any measure should have left the 78-year-old pontiff drained.

Pope makes passionate plea for religious freedom

Pope makes passionate plea for religious freedom

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Philadelphia, Penn. - American composer Aaron Copland’s stirring “Fanfare for the Common Man” greeted a most uncommon pope, who proceeded to speak to America’s better angels on behalf of common men and women, who thronged Independence Mall in their thousands hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis speaks from Independence Hall in Philadelphia Sept. 26.

'Let freedom ring!' Respect for rights helps society, Pope says

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PHILADELPHIA - Not far from where the Liberty Bell is on display, Pope Francis urged the people of the United States to continue to "proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," as the bell's inscription says.

Brian Holdsworth, left, has launched the first ever Fisher’s NET Awards looking for the best Catholic web sites. CatholicAnswers.com’s Jon Sorenson, right, is excited to be part of the judging panel.

Casting the NET onto new public squares

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When the Apostles first set out to evangelize to the world, they stood in public squares to preach about the Kingdom of God and Jesus’ resurrection. But today, Brian Holdsworth said the new public squares are on the Internet and this is where the Church must be.

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