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FAITH/STORIES

A statue of Martin Luther is seen onstage as Pope Francis arrives for an audience with a pilgrimage of Catholics and Lutherans from Germany in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Oct. 13. The pope will visit Sweden Oct. 31-Nov. 1 for commemorations of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

Ecumenical papal trip: Touching the Christian heart of secular Sweden

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VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis' recent insistence on "walking ecumenism," the notion that Christians will draw closer to each other as they work together to help the poor, should resonate well with Lutherans and Catholics in Sweden.

Martin Luther, a German monk and key figure in the Protestant Reformation, is depicted in this painting at a church in Helsingor, Denmark. Pope Francis will visit Sweden Oct. 31-Nov. 1 for commemorations of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

Sorrow and joy: Marking the Reformation with honesty about the past

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VATICAN CITY – As Catholics and Lutherans prepare to mark the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, Pope Francis said they should feel "pain for the division that still exists among us, but also joy for the brotherhood we have already rediscovered."

The Rev. Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, speaks at a Vatican news conference Oct. 26. Rev. Junge says the Pope celebrating Mass with Swedish Catholics the day after Reformation anniversary events shows that the churches are not yet united.

Ecumenical papal trip also will show pain of division, Lutheran says

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VATICAN CITY – The extension of Pope Francis' trip to Sweden by one day to accommodate a papal Mass for the nations' Catholics does not detract from the ecumenical power of the trip, but actually highlights the need for Christian unity, said the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

Pope Francis said during during his general audience in St. Peter's Square Oct. 26 that closing doors to migrants and refugees is not the answer.

Walls aren't answer to people fleeing war, climate change, Pope says

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VATICAN CITY – Closing doors to immigrants and refugees is not the answer – in fact, it only helps encourage the crime of human trafficking, Pope Francis said.

CPJ executive director Joe Gunn moderated a panel of faith leaders at a conference on ending poverty at Saint Paul University Oct. 20.

Faith communities are integral to healing poverty

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OTTAWA – Faith communities are an integral component in the struggle to overcome poverty, faith leaders told a conference on the subject.

Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, speaks at a Vatican news conference Oct. 25. Cardinal Muller said that while the Catholic Church continues to prefer burial in the ground, it accepts cremation as an option, but forbids the scattering of ashes or keeping cremated remains at home.

Vatican releases instruction on burial, cremation

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VATICAN CITY – Professing belief in the resurrection of the dead and affirming that the human body is an essential part of a person's identity, the Catholic Church insists that the bodies of the deceased be treated with respect and laid to rest in a consecrated place.

October 25, 2016
Pope Francis waves as he leads his Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 23.

God’s Kingdom grows through docility not with organization charts

Pope Francis said God’s Kingdom grows through its members showing docility and warned Christians against concentrating too much on structures and organization charts. He was speaking during his morning Mass on Tuesday celebrated in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.

October 24, 2016
Pope Francis smiles during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 19.

'God calls us to be merciful and good, not rigid'

Pope Francis on Monday warned against excessive rigidity and said God gives us the freedom and the gentleness to be merciful.

Pope Francis speaks at the Jesuits' 36th general congregation in Rome Oct. 24. Pope Francis, a Jesuit, met his Jesuit brothers after the election of a new superior but did not participate in the election.

Pope tells Jesuits to walk to peripheries, be open to future

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ROME – Pope Francis, speaking both as pope and a Jesuit, asked members of the Society of Jesus to continue to journey to where Christ is most needed, and always ask God for consolation, compassion and help in discernment.

Catholic doctors are concerned that they will be forced to provide an “effective referral” for patients seeking assisted suicide. It has some thinking they may have to resort to civil disobedience to get around the policy being set by physician colleges.

Catholic health workers face crisis of conscience

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TORONTO – Dr. Luigi Castagna doesn’t think of practicing medicine as a protest movement. But a stalemate over conscience rights for doctors who object to physician-assisted dying may change that.

October 21, 2016
Pope Francis leaves his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 5.

Christians needs to reject envy and conflicts and work for unity

Pope Francis said humility, gentleness and magnanimity are the three key attitudes to build unity within the Church and urged Christians to reject envy, jealousy and conflicts. He was speaking at his Mass celebrated on Friday in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.

A mother embraces her son in Amatrice, Italy, following an earthquake Aug. 24.

Vatican raffle to benefit earthquake victims in central Italy

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VATICAN CITY – Along with the Christmas-tree lighting ceremony and the unveiling of the Nativity creche, Pope Francis' raffle to benefit those in need is becoming an annual holiday tradition at the Vatican.

October 20, 2016
Pope Francis leads his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 19.

Catechism is not enough to know Jesus, we need prayer

Pope Francis said the catechism on its own is not sufficient to truly know Jesus and we need prayer, worship and to recognize ourselves as sinners. His words came during his morning Mass celebrated on Thursday in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.

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