FAITH/STORIES

TORONTO - After 41 years of celebrating Mass in the Greater Toronto Area, Fr. Fructuoso Garcia is getting ready to hang up his collar and return home to Spain.

As we mark Pope Francis’ first 100 days in office, it would be impossible to argue that they have been anything other than successful. Some might say wildly successful.

VATICAN CITY - Christians are called to be revolutionaries, changing the world one heart at a time, Pope Francis said.

Pope: Politics, economics must serve all people, protect poor, unborn

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VATICAN CITY - The goal of politics and economics is to serve all of humanity, starting with the poorest, the most vulnerable and the unborn, Pope Francis told British Prime Minister David Cameron, president of the Group of Eight industrialized nations.

Manila cardinal takes delayed possession of his titular church in Rome

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ROME - "We've been waiting a long time," Capuchin Father Gianfranco Palmisani told Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, who showed up a few minutes late to officially take possession of his "titular" church on the Eastern outskirts of Rome.

Pope, Anglican archbishop pledge to work for unity

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VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis and Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, pledged to support each other with their prayers and to continue the search for full unity between their communities.

Wealth obscures power of God's word, free gift of salvation, Pope says

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VATICAN CITY - A church that is rich and lacking in praise for the Lord is an old, lifeless church that neglects the true treasure of God's free gift of grace and salvation, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

Lay members meet to contribute to Regnum Christi's transformation

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ROME - Members of Regnum Christi, the lay movement associated with the Legionaries of Christ, said they don't feel they are on a salvage mission, but rather are part of a transformation.

Religious freedom gets more lip service than guarantees, Pope says

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VATICAN CITY - Religious freedom is talked about more than it is protected, Pope Francis said.

Pope cuts 'boring' speech to answer students' questions

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VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis ditched a 1,250-word prepared speech to students saying it would be "a tad boring" to read out loud and opted instead to just quickly hit the high points and spend the rest of the time answering people's questions.

Pope Francis calls clerical careerism a 'leprocy'

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VATICAN CITY - Using especially strong language on one of his favorite themes, Pope Francis decried a plague of careerism among priests and urged them to renounce their personal ambitions for service to the church -- warning that failure to do so would make them look "ridiculous."

Vatican organizing worldwide, simultaneous eucharistic adoration June 2

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VATICAN CITY - Vatican officials are making strategic phone calls to some of the world's most far-flung dioceses, trying to verify that in each of the world's inhabited time zones there will be an organized hour of eucharistic adoration coinciding with 5-6 p.m. Rome time June 2.

At Pentecost vigil, Pope shares personal stories of his faith

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VATICAN CITY - With humor and passion, Pope Francis shared highlights of his personal faith journey and explained some key points of his teaching to an enthusiastic crowd of representatives from Catholic lay movements.