FAITH/STORIES

Meeting superiors, Pope says 2015 will be dedicated to religious life

Meeting superiors, Pope says 2015 will be dedicated to religious life

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VATICAN CITY - During a three-hour meeting with 120 superiors general of men's religious orders, Pope Francis said the church would make consecrated life its focus in 2015.

Christmas around the world

Christmas around the world

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KINGSTON, ONT. - There’s a lesson to be learned in the basement of St. Paul the Apostle parish, where artist Tony Vella has assembled a collection that teaches the story of God made human, shown through the lens of cultures from around the world.

Pope Francis kisses a baby after his weekly audience Nov. 6. In his first extensive piece of writing as Pope, Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Church dedicated to evangelization, with a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn.

Catholic Church must be of the poor, for the poor

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The synopsis below has been prepared by the Holy See Press Office and Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, who has served as an English language corresponding assistant to Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., since the papal transition.

Pope lays out his vision for an evangelical Church

Pope lays out his vision for an evangelical Church

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Pope Francis embraces Vinicio Riva, 53, during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Nov. 6. Riva, who is afflicted with neurofibromatosis, said receiving the pope's embrace was like being in paradise. Riva is from a small village nea r Vincenza in northern Italy.

Pope's embrace was heavenly, says man with disfiguring disease

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VATICAN CITY - For someone who has frequently been shunned and humiliated because of a disease that has severely disfigured his entire body, receiving the pope's loving embrace was like being in paradise.

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