PORTLAND — An auxiliary bishop and canon lawyer in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has been named by Pope Francis to lead Maine’s Catholics, the Diocese of Portland announced Wednesday. , 67, told reporters at a news conference in Portland on Wednesday morning he plans to bring Pope Francis’ “joyful” approach to evangelism to […]
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Pope’s blunt remarks pose challenge for American bishops
NEW YORK (AP) — In recent years, many American bishops have drawn a harder line with parishioners on what could be considered truly Roman Catholic, adopting a more aggressive style of correction and telling abortion rights supporters to stay away from the sacrament of Communion. Liberal-minded Catholics derided the approach as tone-deaf. Church leaders said […]
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Pope criticizes church emphasis on abortion, gays
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Signaling a dramatic shift in Vatican tone, Pope Francis said the Catholic Church had become obsessed by “small-minded rules” about how to be faithful and that pastors should instead emphasize compassion over condemnation when discussing divisive social issues of abortion, gays and contraception. The pope’s remarkably blunt message six months into […]
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Catholic youths converge on Rio to see “slum pope”
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Thousands of young Roman Catholics from around the Americas are converging on Rio de Janeiro, taking dayslong bus trips or expensive plane flights that were paid for by baking cookies and holding garage sales, running raffles and bingo tournaments and even begging for coins in public plazas. Some of the […]
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Pope Francis clears John Paul II for sainthood
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Friday cleared two of the 20th century’s most influential popes to become saints, approving a miracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II and waiving Vatican rules to honor Pope John XXIII. It was a remarkable show of papal authority and confirmed Francis’ willingness to bend church tradition when […]