News/International

People wade through a flooded street after a rainstorm in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 2. Affirming his closeness to his "beloved Argentine people," Pope Francis offered his prayers for the victims of recent flooding in Buenos Aires and surrounding are as, and he urged government offices and private citizens to help those most in need.

Pope expresses his closeness to victims of flooding in Buenos Aires

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VATICAN CITY - Affirming his closeness to his "beloved Argentine people," Pope Francis offered his prayers for the victims of recent flooding in Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, and he urged government offices and private citizens to help those most in need.

Safeguarding creation expected to be major theme at WYD in Rio

Safeguarding creation expected to be major theme at WYD in Rio

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VATICAN CITY - When hundreds of thousands of young Catholics gather with Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro in the summer, reflections on safeguarding the environment will be part of the program.

Pope Francis gestures as he arrives to lead his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 3.

A few of the Pope's favourite things

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VATICAN CITY - Here are a few of Pope Francis' favourite things, which he revealed in a series of interviews granted while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis visits the excavated necropolis below St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 1. The necropolis is where St. Peter's tomb has been venerated since early Christian times and where the first church dedicated to him was built. The tomb is two levels below the main altar of the modern basilica.

Pope recites St. Peter's Gospel professions of faith at apostle's tomb

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VATICAN CITY - Kneeling before the tomb of St. Peter, Pope Francis repeated the three professions of faith the Gospels report the apostle making: "Lord, you are the Christ, the son of the living God," "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life," and "Lord, you know everything; you know I love you."

Reports out of Rome say Canada’s Cardinal Marc Ouellet supported Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio for pope.

Ouellet happy to serve new Pope

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Unverifiable reports in the Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore and MacLean’s magazine have clarified Cardinal Marc Ouellet didn’t just tell media before the conclave that becoming pope would be a nightmare, he also threw his support to Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio before the fifth and final vote that chose Pope Francis.

Pope Francis exchanges a gift with retired Pope Benedict XVI after arriving at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, March 23.

Benedict leaves Francis with a starting point on social justice, Jesuit says

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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has left his successor with some unfinished business that Jesuit economist and theologian Fr. Bill Ryan would like to put at the top of the new pontiff ’s agenda.

Pope Francis delivers his Easter blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican March 31.

At Easter Pope calls Christians to be channels of mercy, justice, peace

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VATICAN CITY - With Jesus' resurrection "love has triumphed, mercy has been victorious," Pope Francis said in his first Easter message "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world).

Fate allows students to experience papal history

Fate allows students to experience papal history

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MISSISSAUGA, ONT. - Travelling to Rome under normal circumstances can be a trip of a lifetime, but for high school students Julia Orsini and Aniela Opolski, it gave them the chance to be a little part of history.

Pope Francis washes the foot of a prison inmate during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper at Rome's Casal del Marmo prison for minors March 28. Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 young people of different nationalities and faiths, including at l east two Muslims and two women, who are housed at the juvenile detention facility.

Pope washes feet of 12 young detainees to serve them 'from the heart'

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VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis told young inmates that, just as Jesus came to help and serve others, he, too, was at their service as a priest and bishop.

Edie Windsor, plaintiff in the lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act, gestures outside the Supreme Court in Washington March 27 after the justices heard oral arguments in the case. The court took up the constitutional challenge to the federal law a day after hearing arguments on the constitutionality of California's law banning same-sex marriage.

U.S. definition of marriage less a focus than who's defining it

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WASHINGTON - In its second day of oral arguments about aspects of laws related to same-sex marriage March 27, the Supreme Court spent little time discussing the actual definition of marriage, focusing instead on issues of jurisdiction, state's rights, motives behind the federal Defense of Marriage Act and timing.

Twenty-one Catholic members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords have written to Pope Francis to ask him to relax the rule on priestly celibacy for Latin-rite priests.

British Catholic legislators ask pope to relax priestly celibacy rule

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MANCHESTER, England - Twenty-one Catholic members of Parliament have written to Pope Francis to ask him to relax the rule on priestly celibacy for Latin-rite priests.

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