International News

News from outside of Canada.

Pope Francis' stern climate encyclical faces deep political divides

June 16, 2015

A new survey finds U.S. Catholics — like most Americans — are divided along political lines when it comes to the cause and urgency of climate change. And Pope Francis, in a leaked copy of a hotly anticipated encyclical, goes straight at it.

Franciscan: Encyclical title affirms all creatures have common creator

June 16, 2015

ROME - "Laudato Si'," the title Pope Francis chose for his encyclical on the environment, comes from a hymn of praise by St. Francis of Assisi that emphasizes being in harmony with God, with other creatures and with other human beings, said the head of the Franciscan order.

Pope meets Colombian president, gives assurance of prayer for peace

June 15, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis said planning for a possible visit to Colombia would be accelerated by a peace agreement in the country, said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, following his meeting with the pontiff at the Vatican June 15.

Children need heterosexual parents, says Pope after gay pride march

June 15, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis stressed the importance of children having heterosexual parents June 14, just a day after Rome’s gay pride march demonstrated the changing attitudes about same-sex couples outside the Vatican walls.

Pope accepts resignations of St. Paul archbishop, auxiliary

June 15, 2015

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Pope Francis accepted the resignations June 15 of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piche of St. Paul and Minneapolis and named coadjutor Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of Newark, New Jersey, a canon lawyer, to be apostolic administrator of the Minnesota archdiocese.

Former nuncio will face Vatican trial on charges of abuse, child porn

June 15, 2015

VATICAN CITY - A former Vatican nuncio will stand trial in a Vatican court on charges of the sexual abuse of minors and possession of child pornography.

Polish bishops vow to resist change at synod on the family

June 15, 2015

WARSAW, Poland - Poland's Catholic bishops pledged to resist changes to Catholic teaching on marriage and family life at October's synod on the family at the Vatican and rejected demands for reform by German-speaking Catholics.

Report says Pope Francis to meet with married gay activist in Paraguay

June 15, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis will meet a gay married activist in Paraguay next month, according to an LGBT rights group in that country.

Vatican suspends donation agreement until soccer investigation ends

June 14, 2015

VATICAN CITY - A charity for youth established by Pope Francis has suspended a donations agreement with a South American soccer federation, following the corruption scandal that erupted last month with the worldwide soccer federation, FIFA.

Archbishop from Iraq asks West to step up efforts to oust Islamic State

June 12, 2015

NEW YORK - Syriac Catholic Archbishop Yohanna Moshe of Mosul, Iraq, called on the world's government to oust Islamic State militants from northern parts of the country so thousands of displaced Christians can return home.