Vatican News

First Filipino to lead a US diocese will take reins in Salt Lake City

Vatican City, Jan 10, 2017 / 08:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday the Vatican announced the appointment of Filipino-born Bishop Oscar A. Solis, currently an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as the new head of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Bishop Solis, 63, will fill a more than 20-month vacancy in Salt Lake City, after the previous bishop, John Charles Wester, was tapped to lead the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, N.M. in April 2015.

Is unity the most important thing to Pope Francis?

Vatican City, Jan 9, 2017 / 04:04 pm (CNA).- Pope Francis has decided to begin 2017 in much the same way as he did last year: praying for Christian unity.

And it's this drive for unity – not only among Christians but with other religions as well – that's emerged as sort-of personal manifesto from practically the moment he took office.

Cardinal Mueller: There's no problem with doctrine in 'Amoris laetitia'

Vatican City, Jan 9, 2017 / 12:16 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican’s doctrinal head has challenged several cardinals' public questioning of the doctrinal validity of Amoris laetitia, saying the document is “very clear” on doctrine, and that making the discussion public is harmful to the Church.

Pope to diplomats: when it comes to politics, peace must be more than a theory

Vatican City, Jan 9, 2017 / 04:29 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Following a year marred by war and terrorism, Pope Francis told diplomats Monday that for 2017, peace has to be more than just an idea or a nice theory, but must be actively pursued with concrete policies aimed at promoting the common good and the dignity of the human person.

Although trips can be tiring, Pope says people make the effort 'worth it'

Vatican City, Jan 8, 2017 / 01:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a new interview published Sunday, Pope Francis said that though his many papal trips are often very tiring, both from a physical and mental standpoint, the people he encounters and the testimonies he hears make all of it worthwhile.

“I always carry with me the faces, testimonials, images, experiences...” he said. “An unimaginable wealth, which always makes me say, it was worth it.”

Pope’s ‘urgent’ prayer for January is the homeless

Vatican City, Jan 8, 2017 / 07:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis announced Sunday after the Angelus that his “urgent” prayer for the month of January is for all those without shelter, who are especially affected by the cold weather during the winter.

“During these very cold days, I think of and I invite you to think of all the people who live on the streets, affected by the cold and many times by indifference,” he said Jan. 8.

Pope Francis to parents: teach your children the faith by example

Vatican City, Jan 8, 2017 / 05:18 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis Sunday baptized 28 babies during Mass in the Sistine Chapel, reminding parents that by asking for the Sacrament of Baptism, the gift of faith, for their child, they have a responsibility to guard it and to help it deepen.

Pope Francis: the Magi represent everyone who seeks God

Vatican City, Jan 6, 2017 / 04:47 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis Friday, the Feast of the Epiphany, said that the Magi are not just men who sought out and worshiped the Christ-child a long time ago – they exemplify everyone who has a restless heart, everyone searching for God.

The hearts of the Magi “were open to the horizon and they could see what the heavens were showing them, for they were guided by an inner restlessness,” he said Jan. 6. “They were open to something new.”

We need hope – not 'optimism,' Pope Francis tells quake victims

Vatican City, Jan 5, 2017 / 11:22 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During an audience with people from the areas devastated by earthquakes in Central Italy, Pope Francis emphasized the need to move forward with hope, closeness and solidarity, rather than a false sense of optimism.

“The pain is great...the wounds of the heart are there,” the Pope told thousands of people gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall for the Jan. 5 audience.

A new 'vocational culture' is needed in the Church, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, Jan 5, 2017 / 06:39 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A fresh and courageous perspective is needed when it comes to helping youth discern and discover their vocation, Pope Francis said Thursday, emphasizing the importance of personal holiness and the commitment to serving others.

“(Today) there is the urgency to bring into the Christian community a new ‘vocational culture,’” the Pope said Jan. 5.

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