Vatican News

Religious leaders help build dialogue in conflict, ambassador says

Vatican City, Aug 7, 2014 / 05:33 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli ambassador to the Holy See lauded Pope Francis’ continued calls for peace, stating that religious leaders often help two sides of a conflict foster trust.

“Sometimes spiritual, religious leaders and interreligious dialogue can pave the way for a dialogue between two sides to a conflict,” Dr. Zion Evrony told CNA August 5.

Pope: mercy, compassion at heart of new covenant

Vatican City, Aug 6, 2014 / 05:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his first general audience since June, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Church, explaining that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament by giving a new teaching on mercy in the beatitudes.

“At the heart of the new covenant is our realization that, in Christ, we are embraced by God’s mercy and compassion, and that our lives must bear witness to his love for all our brothers and sisters,” the pontiff stated in his Aug. 6 general audience.

Bring Jesus to those outside Church, Pope tells altar servers

Vatican City, Aug 5, 2014 / 04:51 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis on Tuesday met with more than 50,000 altar servers on an annual pilgrimage to Rome from Germany, urging them to bring Jesus to the world, especially those outside the Church.

“You are called to speak of Jesus to your contemporaries, not only those within your parishes or associations, but especially to those outside,” he told the altar servers after a Vespers prayer service Aug. 5.

Pope Francis to give live radio interview on Argentinian station

Vatican City, Aug 5, 2014 / 05:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- This Friday Pope Francis will give a live interview on an Argentinian radio station that he helped raise the money to found while still archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. confirmed the event, telling CNA July 4 that although he doesn’t know exactly how it will be done, most likely “the Pope will make a telephone call to the local radio, and this will be aired on the radio itself.”

Marriage's indissolubility a dogma, cardinal clarifies

Vatican City, Aug 5, 2014 / 02:06 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a book-length interview, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller has underscored that the indissolubility of the marriage is no mere doctrine, but a dogma of the Church, and stressed the need to recover the sacramental understanding of marriage and family.

Cardinal Mueller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, granted the interview in June to the Spanish journalist Carlos Granados, director of the Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos in Madrid.

Pope Francis calls Spanish convent for the second time

Vatican City, Aug 4, 2014 / 08:16 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Calling a Carmelite convent in Lucena, Spain for the second time since December, Pope Francis contacted the nuns asking them to give his affection and blessing to all the people in their town.

According to COPE, a Spanish radio network that is partially owned by Spain’s Episcopal Conference, Pope Francis sent his “affection, health and blessing” to the city of Lucena, Spain during a Saturday, Aug. 2, phone call.

Provide for the needs of the poor, Pope exhorts

Vatican City, Aug 3, 2014 / 02:29 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- At Sunday's Angelus address at the Vatican, Pope Francis called on those receiving his message to care first for the poor, before concerning themselves with their own wants and needs.

“Jesus teaches us to put the needs of the poor ahead of our own,” he said Aug. 3 at St. Peter's Square. “Our needs, even if legitimate, will never be so urgent as those of the poor, who lack the necessities of life.”

Pope surprises Jesuits for dinner on feast of Saint Ignatius

Vatican City, Aug 1, 2014 / 08:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In honor of the feast commemorating the founder of their order, Pope Francis made a last minute phone call to the head of the Jesuit General Curia expressing his desire to eat dinner with them.

According to an Aug. 1 statement issued by the Jesuits, “It was only at the last moment that he told Father General that this was his wish.”

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