News/International

Nuns pray during Mass Jan. 6 in the Church of St. Catherine, adjacent to the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, West Bank. The Mass was held by Catholics in the church as Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas eve in the Church of the Nativity.

Pope Francis greets Coptic Christians celebrating Christmas

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CAIRO, Egypt – Pope Francis sent Christmas and New Year’s greetings to Coptic Christians and all Egyptians upon the inauguration of a major Coptic cathedral, jointly opened with a larger mosque at the same complex.
Pope Francis has sent condolences and a blessing to the Hong Kong Diocese following the Jan. 3 death of Bishop Yeung Ming-cheung, 73. Bishop Yeung is pictured in a 2017 photo.

Pope Francis sends condolences following death of Hong Kong bishop

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HONG KONG – Pope Francis has sent condolences and a blessing to the Hong Kong Diocese following the Jan. 3 death of Bishop Yeung Ming-cheung, 73, of liver failure.
Pope Francis leads an annual meeting to exchange greetings for the new year with diplomats accredited to the Holy See, at the Vatican Jan. 7.

'Nationalistic tendencies' threaten world peace, dialogue, Pope Francis tells diplomats

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VATICAN – As it did prior to the Second World War, the rise of nationalism in the world poses a threat to peace and constructive dialogue among nations, Pope Francis said.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany, arrives for the morning session of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican 2014.

German cardinal urges change, 'review' of celibacy tradition

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WASHINGTON – German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising called for change in long-standing church tradition as the German bishops' conference prepares for a workshop debate to "review" the issue of celibacy for priests.
Pope Francis greets Bishop Luis Antonio Scozzina of Oran in Rome.

Vatican confirms investigation is underway of Argentina bishop for abuse

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VATICAN – A bishop from Argentina who had been working in the Vatican's real estate administration office is the object of a preliminary diocesan investigation after accusations came to light of sexual abuse, abuse of power and mismanagement in his former Diocese of Oran.
Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte is seen Dec. 15, 2018, in Balangiga, Philippines. In a New Year message, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, Philippines called on people to ignore Duterte's repeated rants against the Catholic Church.

Filipino bishop tells Catholics to ignore President Duterte's anti-church jabs

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MANILA, Philippines – A former head of the Philippines' Catholic bishop's conference, has called on people to ignore President Rodrigo Duterte's repeated rants against the church.
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, speaks at the conclusion of a prayer service at Mundelein Seminary Jan. 2 at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Illinois, near Chicago. The U.S. bishops began their Jan. 2-8 retreat at the seminary, which comes as the bishops work to rebuild trust in the wake of their handling of clergy sex abuse.

Abuse crisis requires conversion, humility, Pope tells U.S. bishops

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VATICAN CITY – The clerical abuse crisis and the "crisis of credibility" it created for the U.S. bishops have led to serious divisions within the U.S. Catholic Church and to a temptation to look for administrative solutions to problems that go much deeper, Pope Francis told the U.S. bishops.
Sister Regin Mathew, right, helped Vincy Joy, a 42-year-old woman, overcome trauma after floodwaters submerged her house on the outskirts of Mananthavady, India, a town in Kerala state.

Indian nuns worked to prevent farmers' suicide after Kerala floods

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COCHIN, India – Ouseph Pappachan, a physically challenged farmer in flood-ravaged Kerala, said he and his wife are alive now because of Sister Regin Mathew.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, leaves a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct 5.

Details out on Vatican delaying U.S. bishops' vote on abuse provisions

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VATICAN – The surprising news in November that the Vatican had asked U.S. bishops not to vote on several proposals for responding to the sexual abuse crisis was motivated by a lack of time given the Vatican to study the proposals and potential conflicts with church law, according to a letter obtained by the Associated Press.
Pope Francis leads Benediction during a prayer service on New Year's Eve in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 31.

Christ fills passing time with meaning, Pope Francis says at end of 2018

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VATICAN – The end of one year and beginning of next naturally leads people to think about the passing of time and about love, which gives time -- and everything else -- real meaning, Pope Francis said.
People in Managua, Nicaragua, pay tribute Oct. 28 to those who lost their lives in protest against President Daniel Ortega.

'Dialogue is not a fad', Nicaragua auxiliary bishop says

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MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Managua Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Jose Baez reiterated his calls for dialogue and respecting human dignity in Nicaragua, where the president has crushed protests, closed critical media outlets and persecuted anyone – including priests – publicly opposing his administration.
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