Vatican

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Pope Francis: I'm a Pharmacist, Prayer Is My Drug

Pontiff gives out rosaries in pill boxes, says 'good for the heart'

(Newser) - Joking that he's like a pharmacist, Pope Francis is promoting prayer as medicine for the heart. Appearing today at his studio window, Francis held up a rosary in a box designed to resemble a packets of pills, before volunteers distributed thousands of those boxes, which feature a design of...

Italian Mafia's New Target: Pope Francis?

Mobsters 'nervous and agitated' by pontiff's anti-corruption stance, prosecutor says

(Newser) - Pope Francis' anti-corruption stance could put him at risk from "the most dangerous, most unified, and most difficult to penetrate" mafia clan in Italy, an Italian prosecutor tells the Washington Post . As "Pope Francis is dismantling centers of economic power in the Vatican," mobsters are "nervous...

Pope Wants Your Thoughts on Gay Marriage

Vatican sends bishops questions on contraception, divorce

(Newser) - The Vatican has issued a request to national bishops' conferences worldwide ahead of a synod next year: Tell us what your region thinks about contraception, divorce, same-sex marriage, and other social issues. The National Catholic Reporter calls the questionnaire a "wide-ranging poll of Catholics," though the Vatican has...

NSA Spied on Vatican as Pope Was Chosen: Report

Church 'not worried' about Italian magazine piece

(Newser) - Among the NSA's apparently unending surveillance targets, according to an Italian magazine report, was one Jorge Mario Bergoglio—the current Pope Francis. Panorama says Bergoglio and other cardinals were subjects of US spying ahead of the conclave that made him pope , AFP notes. "It is feared that the...

Pope Expels &#39;Luxury Bishop&#39;
 Pope Expels 'Luxury Bishop' 
Oct 23, 2013 2:09 PM CDT

Pope Expels 'Luxury Bishop'

Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst temporarily expelled from diocese

(Newser) - Pope Francis temporarily expelled a German bishop from his diocese today because of a scandal over a $42 million project to build a new residence complex , but he refused popular calls to remove him. The Vatican didn't say how long Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst would spend away from the...

Bishop in Trouble for $42M House

Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst dubbed 'Luxury Bishop'

(Newser) - A German bishop has been called to the principal's office after his exorbitant spending. Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst—or the "Luxury Bishop" as the BBC calls him—is under fire for spending $42 million on his house and then lying about it. Some have called for him to resign....

Vatican Misspells Jesus —on 6K Medals

FYI Vatican officials, it's Jesus, not Lesus

(Newser) - You'd think if anyone was going to misspell the name of God's son, it wouldn't be the Vatican. But some 6,000 gold, silver, and bronze medals to commemorate Pope Francis have been recalled after a misspelling in a Latin phrase turned Jesus into Lesus, der Spiegel ...

Francis Kicks Off Vatican Reform, Disses 'Narcissists'

Meetings with 8 cardinals seek to reform institution

(Newser) - Pope Francis isn't mincing words today as he kicks off the first of three days of meetings aimed squarely at reforming the Vatican. The pontiff is meeting with eight cardinals from across the globe, even as he addressed his concerns in an interview with leftist newspaper La Repubblica. Many...

Pope: Church Should Accept Gays 'With Respect'

Says Vatican has been 'small-minded,' can't be 'obsessed'

(Newser) - More unexpected comments about homosexuality from Pope Francis: In a new interview with a Jesuit journal, he says the church cannot "interfere spiritually" in the lives of gays and lesbians, CNN reports. He's gotten letters from gays and lesbians who felt "socially wounded" by the church, "...

Pope's No. 2: Priest Celibacy Not Set in Stone

Says it's up for discussion, though it is an important tradition

(Newser) - While Pope Francis is off puttering around in a second-hand car , his soon-to-be secretary of state has been doing something even more controversial: talking about priestly celibacy. When he was asked about it by a Venezuelan newspaper, Archbishop Pietro Parolin said the matter was open to discussion. "Celibacy is...

100K Throng Vatican for Francis' Syria Vigil

'War is always a defeat for humanity,' pope says during 4-hour vigil

(Newser) - Tens of thousands filled St. Peter's Square for a four-hour Syria peace vigil late yesterday, answering Pope Francis' call for a grassroots cry for peace that was echoed by Christians and non-Christians alike in Syria and vigils around the world. The Vatican estimated about 100,000 took part in...

Benedict: God Told Me to Quit

Former pope says he had 'mystical experience'

(Newser) - Former Pope Benedict is quoted as giving his most straightforward answer yet as to why he resigned : "God told me to." Benedict said so to an anonymous visitor, according to Catholic news agency Zenit, reports the Telegraph . It wasn't an apparition, explained Benedict, but more of a...

OK, Pope Francis, Time to be CEO Now
OK, Pope Francis, 
 Time to be CEO Now 
OPINION
Aug 9, 2013 1:01 PM CDT

OK, Pope Francis, Time to be CEO Now

Francis can't just ignore the rot at the Vatican Bank, David Alvarez argues

(Newser) - Pope Francis is a media darling, which is great for the Catholic Church, because otherwise reporters might look at things like the Vatican Bank instead. The bank's director and deputy director resigned July 1 amidst a criminal probe, after a priest was arrested for allegedly illegally moving $27 million...

Pope Francis: Who Am I to Judge Gays?

Makes big statement on flight back from Latin America

(Newser) - Pope Francis continues to make news by making waves: for assuring the world that atheists can be good people , for blessing leather-clad Harley riders , and, now, for softening the church's position on gay priests. With the ink barely dry on yet another big news moment (he racked up the...

Follow Pope on Twitter, Get Time Off Purgatory Stay

Vatican offers 'indulgences' for social media use during Catholic World Youth Day

(Newser) - If you're a Catholic due to spend some time in purgatory before heading on up to heaven, we have good news for you: You can shorten the length of time you have to spend there just by following Pope Francis on Twitter , the Guardian reports. A papal court has...

John Paul II Cleared for Sainthood: Vatican

Ceremony should occur this year

(Newser) - Tuesday brought the news that Pope John Paul II awaited just the final sign-off from Pope Francis before being made a saint. Three days later, that approval has come. Reuters reports that the Vatican today announced that Francis has approved the second of the two miracles needed on the road...

Vatican Official Arrested in Corruption Plot

Monsignor Nunzio Scarano sought return of $26M via Italian government plane

(Newser) - A Vatican official has been arrested in a purported plot to bring $26 million into Italy from Switzerland aboard an Italian government plane. Silverio Sica, attorney for Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, said his client is accused of fraud, corruption, and other charges stemming from the plot, which never got off the...

John Paul Gets His 2nd Miracle
 John Paul Gets His 2nd Miracle 
Jun 19, 2013 8:39 PM CDT

John Paul Gets His 2nd Miracle

Ill woman reportedly recovers, moving him closer to sainthood

(Newser) - Pope John Paul II continues to zip along toward sainthood. A Vatican official tells the Telegraph that a second miracle has been attributed to the late pontiff, reportedly of a gravely ill Costa Rican woman who prayed to his memory and recovered. Cardinals and Pope Francis are expected to sign...

Pope Blesses ... Harley Davidsons?

Thousands of bikers jam St. Peter's Square for Mass

(Newser) - It was a rougher-than-usual crowd in St. Peter's Square today, with the dull roar of Harley Davidsons drowning out the "Our Father" and Pope Francis himself doling out blessings to the thousands of bikers crowding into what the AP terms "a giant Harley parking lot." The...

Francis: 'It's True,' Vatican Has Gay Lobby

Stunning admission in reported comments to private audience

(Newser) - Pope Francis has stunned Vatican-watchers by acknowledging that a "gay lobby" exists high up in the church hierarchy. "It is true, it is there ... We need to see what we can do," the pontiff told a key Latin American church group on June 6, according to a...

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