Catholic Church

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The Acting Pope Is an Irish-Born US Citizen

Cardinal Kevin Farrell is the acting head of the Vatican until a new pope is elected

(Newser) - Following Pope Francis' death Monday at age 88, the Vatican will have an acting head until a new pontiff is chosen during the conclave process. That acting head, or camerlengo, is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and ultimately became a naturalized US citizen, NPR reports. Francis...

The Beloved Pope Francis Did Have 'Many Critics'

The progressive pontiff sometimes butted heads with conservative clergy

(Newser) - Pope Francis was being remembered as a beloved leader of the Catholic Church following his death Monday at age 88, but the pontiff was not without his critics over the years since he was elected pope in 2013. A look at some of them:
  • Conservative US Catholics: As the New
...

Every Night, Pope Called a Small Church in Gaza

Francis asked Palestinian Catholics 'to be strong'

(Newser) - Hours after the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, the only Catholic church in Gaza received a call from Rome. It was the first of what became nightly discussions between the parishioners of Holy Family Church and Pope Francis, Reuters reports. The pope "always healed our wounds and asked...

An American Pope? One Name Is in Contention
An American Pope? One
Name Is in Contention
the rundown
Apr 21, 2025 8:23 AM CDT

An American Pope? One Name Is in Contention

Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, is among those seen as a possible successor

(Newser) - So who will be the next pope? Even as the tributes pour in for Pope Francis after his death on Monday morning , the question is at the forefront for the Catholic Church. The Washington Post sees no clear favorite at the moment, but the newspaper and other outlets are...

5 Things to Know About Francis' Life, Papacy
5 Things to Know About
Francis' Life, Papacy
the rundown
Apr 21, 2025 6:39 AM CDT

5 Things to Know About Francis' Life, Papacy

The Argentina-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio has died at 88

(Newser) - The death of Pope Francis at age 88 has led to an outpouring of tributes and coverage about his life and papacy. Some highlights:
  • His calling: Francis was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was the eldest of five siblings born to
...

Pope Francis Dies Hours After Final Public Appearance

Pontiff, 88, had been recovering from pneumonia

(Newser) - Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday at age 88, per the AP . Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement,...

Pope Puts 'God's Architect' on Track for Sainthood

Francis starts process for Antoni Gaudi, designer of Barcelona's famous Sagrada Familia basilica

(Newser) - Antoni Gaudi just took his first official step toward becoming a saint. The Catalan architect who designed the still-in-progress Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain, has been placed on the path to sainthood by Pope Francis, who in a Monday decree declared Gaudi "venerable" and full of "heroic...

Millions Flock to Honor 'God's Influencer' Ahead of Sainthood

Carlo Acutis to be canonized next month

(Newser) - Carlo Acutis will be canonized as the first millennial saint on April 27 in Assisi, Italy, and pilgrims are flocking to this hilltop town to honor him alongside St. Francis and St. Clare. Acutis, who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006, was known for his devotion and modern...

She Said Her Virgin Mary Wept Blood. Not So Fast

DNA tests suggest blood was actually from Italy's Gisella Cardia, not some sort of supernatural event

(Newser) - About a decade ago, Gisella Cardia purchased a statue of the Virgin Mary at Bosnia and Herzegovina's Medjugorje, where thousands of religious pilgrims flock annually. The Sicilian native created her own pilgrimage site in the town of Trevignano Romano, on the outskirts of Rome, using the statue as the...

Vatican Sanctioned Opus Dei Cardinal

Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne says he handled sexual abuse accusations properly

(Newser) - The once-powerful archbishop of Lima, Peru, and the first-ever cardinal of Opus Dei acknowledged Saturday that the Vatican had imposed sanctions on him in 2019 following an allegation of sexual abuse, but he denied wrongdoing. Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, 81, wrote a response after Spain's El País...

Pope Dissolves Conservative Catholic Movement

Probe uncovered sexual, financial, spiritual abuses by Peru-based Sodalitium Christianae Vitae

(Newser) - Pope Francis has taken the remarkable step of dissolving a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, after years of attempts at reform and a Vatican investigation. The probe uncovered sexual abuses by its founder, financial mismanagement by its leaders, and spiritual abuses by its top members, the AP reports....

Woman to Finally Head a Vatican Office—a Vital One

Sister Simona Brambilla named prefect of department responsible for religious orders

(Newser) - Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church's religious orders. The appointment marks a major step in Francis' aim to give women more leadership...

Pope Opens 'Holy Door' at Prison in Italy

Symbolic move is part of the Catholic Church's Jubilee celebration

(Newser) - Pope Francis made a symbolic gesture at one of Italy's largest prisons on Thursday that is a first for any pontiff, reports the Guardian . Francis visited Rebibbia prison outside Rome, where he opened what the church calls a "holy door." During the year, Francis will open five...

After Report, Michigan Bishop Apologizes for 'Terrible Things'

Report alleges historic sexual misconduct by nearly 50 priests

(Newser) - A search warrant obtained in 2018 has led to what NBC News calls a "landmark report" out of Michigan that details alleged historic sexual misconduct at the hands of dozens of priests. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the allegations made against Catholic priests and others in the Diocese...

The Saint-Makers: 'We Are a Very Peculiar Court'
He Will Be the First Saint
in Branded Clothes
longform
Dec 7, 2024 3:15 PM CST

He Will Be the First Saint in Branded Clothes

Guardian looks at the Vatican's process as the first millennial saint is about to join the ranks

(Newser) - On April 27, the pope will utter the Latin word "discernimus," meaning "we recognize it," in regard to the sainthood of Carlo Acutis . And thus, Acutis—who died in 2006 from leukemia at age 15—will become the first millennial saint. At the Guardian , Linda Kinstler...

Vatican Deems Texas Nuns 'Extinct' After Alleged Scandal

Sisters believe Fort Worth bishop is simply attempting a land grab of Arlington monastery

(Newser) - A group of nuns in Arlington, Texas, have been declared "extinct" by the Vatican, following a monthslong battle with the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth over a rumored affair between the head nun and a priest. Per Chron.com , Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson on Monday published a statement...

Church Reputation May Take Priority Over 'Survivor Support'

1st report from Vatican commission on clerical sexual abuse criticized for lack of data

(Newser) - A decade after it formed, a Vatican commission on clerical sexual abuse issued its first of what is to become an annual report on Tuesday and met immediate criticism, the New York Times reports. "I understand that it won't satisfy everybody and it won't satisfy survivors,"...

LA Archbishop: 'I Am Sorry for Every One of These Incidents'

Archdiocese of Los Angeles agrees to pay whopping $880M to victims of clergy sex abuse

(Newser) - The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades, in what an attorney said was the largest single settlement with a Catholic archdiocese over child sex abuse. After the Wednesday announcement of the agreement in principle, Archbishop Jose H....

Pope Names 21 Cardinals, Including a 99-Year-Old

Many come from 'the church's edges,' church historian says

(Newser) - Pope Francis named 21 new cardinals Sunday, significantly increasing the size of the College of Cardinals and further cementing his mark on the group of prelates who will one day elect his successor. They include a man who will be the oldest cardinal: Monsignor Angelo Acerbi, a 99-year-old retired Vatican...

Belgium's King, PM Had Strong Words for Pope

'When something goes wrong we cannot accept cover-ups,' PM says of sex abuse scandals

(Newser) - Belgium's prime minister blasted Pope Francis for the Catholic Church's horrific legacy of clerical sex abuse and cover-ups, demanding "concrete steps" to come clean with the past and put victims' interests ahead those of the institution in a blistering welcome at the start of Francis' visit on...

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