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Pope statue unveiled in Italian potato field

Agence France-PresseMay 20, 2013 14:15
The first-ever statue of Pope Francis has been unveiled in a potato field near Naples -- an unorthodox homage to the fact that the Argentine pope's ancestors were farmers in northern Italy. The statue will be presented to the pope next month by Italian actor Barbato De Stefano, who comes from the village of Cicciano where it was presented and has financed the project. "The poverty of my village is a treasure for the community in which I was born and grew up," said De Stefano, who praised the pope's own modest demeanour saying he had "pierced people's hearts".

Vatican orders cardinal to leave Scotland over abuse

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 20:15
Disgraced British cardinal Keith O'Brien has been ordered to leave Scotland for a months-long spiritual retreat following abuse allegations against him, the Vatican said on Wednesday. O'Brien, who had already resigned as head of the Church in Scotland "will be leaving Scotland for several months for the purpose of spiritual renewal, prayer and penance," it said. The Vatican statement said the decision was taken "for the same reasons he decided not to participate in the last conclave and in agreement with the Holy Father" -- Pope Francis.

After papal election, Rome holds another conclave

Agence France-PresseApril 17, 2013 23:01
A month after the Argentine pope's surprise election to lead a troubled Catholic Church, Rome hosts another conclave from Thursday -- this time to find an Italian president to end a complex political crisis. Experts in the Vatican are being replaced by a rare breed of Italian journalists who try to decode the complexities of the "Quirinale" -- the palace in Rome where Italian presidents reside and the former home of popes and kings.

Pope choses eight cardinals to advise him, study reforms

April 13, 2013 07:15
Pope Francis on Saturday set up a group of eight cardinals from every continent to advise him about governing the church and study administrative reforms, the Vatican said. Francis, the former Argentine cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, was elected by a conclave of cardinals exactly a month ago amid expectations that he would undertake such reforms. jlv/lc/yad

Cuban cardinal reveals Bergoglio's remarks prior to conclave

March 26, 2013 14:01
Havana, Mar 26 (EFE).- Cuba's Catholic primate, Jaime Ortega, made public in Havana a manuscript with remarks made by Jorge Bergoglio about the mission of the church in a session before the conclave that elected him pope. The manuscript was presented "exclusively" to Cardinal Ortega by Bergoglio before the Argentine prelate became Pope Francis I, and the thinking it contains "could have guided the selection of the cardinals" on March 13, Cuban Catholic Church magazine Palabra Nueva said Tuesday.

Pope to live in Vatican guesthouse 'until further notice'

March 26, 2013 12:32
Pope Francis on Tuesday announced he will be staying in the Vatican's guesthouse, rather than moving into the vast palace used as the official papal residence. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the new pontiff would remain in the 120-room guesthouse among other members of the clergy "until further notice." "He is trying out this type of simple living with other priests," Lombardi said, without saying when, or even if, the pope would move into the papal residence.

Pope Francis meets with cardinals from the Americas

March 25, 2013 13:17
Vatican City, Mar 25 (EFE) - Pope Francis met Monday with Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz and Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Vatican said. The Brazilian cardinal is prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Canadian is prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Both men were considered candidates for pope in the conclave that elected Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13.

Pope Francis makes good first impression on U.S. Catholics - poll

March 19, 2013 16:45
By Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pope Francis, formally installed on Tuesday as head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, has made a good impression so far in the United States among Catholics and non-Catholics, though few Americans knew much about him, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. Of those who are aware of the new pope, 85 percent of all U.S. adults surveyed had a favourable view of him, including 94 percent of Catholics, according to the poll. ( http://link.reuters.com/pyn76t )

Pope vows to 'embrace poorest' at grand inauguration

March 19, 2013 09:31
Pope Francis donned the symbols of papal power and vowed to embrace the "poorest" of humanity on Tuesday at a grand inauguration in the Vatican as leader of a troubled Roman Catholic Church. Some 200,000 pilgrims cheered Latin America's first pontiff in St Peter's Square, waving flags from around the world as Francis promised that his would be a "lowly, concrete and faithful" papacy. His voice raised for emphasis, the 76-year-old Francis said a pope must "embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important."

Pope Francis greets crowds at inauguration

March 19, 2013 04:30
Pope Francis swept into St Peter's Square on Tuesday to greet throngs of pilgrims before a sumptuous ceremony in which Latin America's first pontiff will receive the formal symbols of papal power. Wearing his papal whites and standing in middle of an open-topped vehicle, the pope waved, smiled and gave the thumbs-up to the ecstatic crowds in the sun-drenched square. The crowds had begun gathering from the early morning for a ceremony laden with centuries-old rituals and lavish imagery, which will begin with a first-time tour of the famous Vatican plaza by the Argentine pope.
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