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Pope to preside over first Good Friday

April 6, 2013 13:05
Pope Francis was to preside over his first Good Friday after washing the feet of 12 young prisoners, updating an ancient Easter ritual as part of his efforts to bring the Catholic Church closer to the needy. The new pontiff is due to recite the Passion of Christ - the story of the last hours of Jesus’s life - in St Peter’s Basilica on Friday, before leading the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) ceremony by the Colosseum, where thousands of Christians are believed to have been killed in Roman times. Francis, whose first days as pope have set a markedly different tone from his predec

Pope Francis delivers message of peace on Easter

March 31, 2013 13:16
Vatican City, Mar 31 (EFE) - Pope Francis called on Easter Sunday for peace in a world "still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century."

Pope prays for peace in Syria, Korea on first Easter

March 31, 2013 12:16
Pope Francis prayed for a "political solution" in Syria and for "reconciliation" on the Korean peninsula in his first Easter Sunday message in front of a crowd in St Peter's Square. Latin America's first pontiff also issued an appeal for hostages held by militants in Nigeria and condemned human trafficking as "the most extensive form of slavery in this 21st century". The pope delivered his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing to Rome and the world from the same balcony of St Peter's Basilica where he made his first appearance after his momentous election to the papacy this month.

Pope prays for peace in Syria, Korea on first Easter

March 31, 2013 07:00
Pope Francis prayed for a "political solution" in Syria and for "reconciliation" on the Korean peninsula in his first Easter Sunday message in front of a crowd in St Peter's Square. Latin America's first pontiff also issued an appeal for hostages held by militants in Nigeria and condemned human trafficking as "the most extensive form of slavery in this 21st century". The pope delivered his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing to Rome and the world from the same balcony of St Peter's Basilica where he made his first appearance after his momentous election to the papacy this month.

Pope appeals for end to Korea tensions in first Easter message

March 30, 2013 18:00
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, appearing before more than 250,000 people for his first Easter Sunday address, called for world peace, respect for the environment and a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Korean peninsula. In his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message, he also appealed for a resumption of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, an end to the civil war in Syria and political solutions to conflicts in several African countries.

Pope marks first Good Friday with torch-lit ceremony

March 29, 2013 18:00
Pope Francis marked his first Good Friday with a traditional torch-lit ceremony around the Colosseum in Rome and prayers for a Middle East "torn apart by injustice and conflicts". The newly-elected Argentine pope presided over the re-enactment of the last hours of Jesus Christ's last hours, praying for Christians in the region and for "our Muslim brothers". "Christians must respond to evil with good, taking the cross upon themselves as Jesus did," said Francis, who followed the ceremony from under a canopy overlooking the 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre.

Pope washes prisoners' feet in unprecedented Easter rite

March 28, 2013 14:00
Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 young offenders including two girls at a Rome prison on Thursday in an unprecedented version of an ancient Easter ritual seen as part of an effort by the new pope to bring the Catholic Church closer to the needy. "Whoever is the most high up must be at the service of others," the pope said at the start of the Holy Thursday ceremony -- the first performed by a pontiff in prison and the first including women.

Pope Francis holds his first public audience

March 27, 2013 21:00
Vatican City, Mar 27 (EFE).- Pope Francis entered St. Peter's Square here in the popemobile on Wednesday to hold the first public audience of his pontificate, which several thousand people from all over the world attended. Shouts of "Long live the pope," "This is the youth of the pope," "We love you" sounded through the square, where several thousand young Spaniards and Latin Americans had gathered to await the pontiff's arrival. The audience was held on a sunny morning, although there were some threatening clouds in the area, too.

Pope's common touch poses security conundrum

March 18, 2013 22:45
Finding himself near a Vatican exit and hearing people chanting his name outside, during one of his first days in office, Pope Francis responded with an impromptu walkabout that looks set to become a frequent occurrence. The new pope spent several minutes shaking hands and cuddling children, apparently taking as much time as he wanted, as security officials and Swiss Guards looked on nervously. "Security detail in fibrillation, faithful delirious" is how the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano described the scene. The papal bodyguards had better get used to it.

Pope has probably not read "Vatileaks" report yet, Vatican says

March 18, 2013 12:30
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis already has access to a top secret report about a leaks scandal that rocked the Catholic Church last year but most probably has not yet read it, the Vatican said on Monday. The report concerns the so-called "Vatileaks" affair in which internal documents alleging corruption, mismanagement and infighting in the Vatican's central administration, known as the Curia, were leaked to the media.
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