God will deliver a world of justice

Second Sunday of Advent (Year A) Dec. 8 (Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-9)

When things get really tough and out of control, most people look for a superhero or saviour. Human efforts can seem futile and doomed to failure; sometimes the mess is so great that it calls for help from an outside super-human source. This intervention comes in many guises: political, economic or religious ideologies are near the top of the list. Most of them also fall far short and many demand too great a price — usually freedom and human dignity.

Pope lays out his vision for an evangelical Church

Pope lays out his vision for an evangelical Church

VATICAN CITY - In his first extensive piece of writing as Pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Church dedicated to evangelization in a positive key, with a focus on society's poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, looks on during a presentation of "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel") by Pope Francis during a news conference at the Vatican Nov. 26. In his firs t extensive piece of writing as pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Church dedicated to evangelization, with a focus on society's poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn.

Vatican officials say pope's document provides map for church's future

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation on sharing the joy of the Gospel is a call to faith-filled optimism, recognizing challenges but knowing that God's love and lordship will prevail, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, introducing the text to the media.

A copy of the apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel") by Pope Francis is seen during a news conference at the Vatican Nov. 26. In his first extensive piece of writing as pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Chu rch dedicated to evangelization, with a focus on society's poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn.

Pope: Opposition to abortion isn't 'conservative,' it's result of faith

VATICAN CITY - Defending human dignity and protecting society's most vulnerable necessarily means protecting the unborn and defending their right to life, Pope Francis said in his apostolic exhortation.

Pope says only men can be priests, but women must have voice in church

Pope says only men can be priests, but women must have voice in church

VATICAN CITY - The Catholic Church is not going to change its position on the inadmissibility of women priests, Pope Francis said, but it does have to stop linking all decision making to ordination and allow women to have a voice in deliberations.

Pope frames vision for Church outreach at every level

Pope frames vision for Church outreach at every level

VATICAN CITY - Here are a few of the main features of Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), which was released Nov. 26 at the Vatican:

Pope Francis holds a bronze reliquary containing the relics of St. Peter the Apostle on the altar during a Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Nov. 24. The bone fragments, which were discovered during excavations of the necropolis under St. Peter's Basilica in the 1940s, are kept in the pope's private chapel but had never been displayed in public.

Pope venerates apostle's relics, urges people focus on Christ

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis closed the Year of Faith by calling on people to keep Christ at the center of their lives, especially in times of trouble.

With document on evangelization, Pope makes real authorial debut

With document on evangelization, Pope makes real authorial debut

VATICAN CITY - With his apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" (The Joy of the Gospel), which the Vatican has scheduled for publication Nov. 26, Pope Francis finally makes his real debut as papal author.

Pope Francis attends a meeting with the patriarchs and major archbishops of the Eastern Catholic churches in Syria, Iraq and and other parts of the Middle East, at the Vatican Nov. 21.

Pope prays for peace, full religious freedom for all in Middle East

VATICAN CITY - After a two-hour private meeting with the patriarchs and major archbishops of the Eastern Catholic churches, Pope Francis prayed for peace and full religious freedom throughout the Middle East.

Archbishop Fouad Tawl, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, waves to the more than 6,000 parishioners, welcoming them to a special Mass to mark the start of the final week of the Year of Faith.

Year of Faith coming to an end

NAZARETH - Archbishop Fouad Tawl, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, urged “faith and only faith” during a Mass celebrated Nov. 17 in the city of Jesus’ childhood to mark the final week of the Year of Faith.

In a chaotic world, treasure each day

1st Sunday of Advent (Year A) Dec. 1, (Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44)

The image of beating swords and spears into ploughshares and pruning hooks is both beautiful and painful. It is beautiful in that it represents the heartfelt yearning of humanity for millennia for a time when nations no longer resort to war. The pain lies in the realization that we are ever so far from this state of harmony and peace.

Page 286 of 369