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Pope Francis could be godsend for reviled Czech Jesuits

March 31, 2013 23:45
Pope Francis could be a godsend for his fellow Jesuits in the Czech Republic, where the religious order is still reviled for its brutal re-imposition of Catholicism in the 17th and 18th centuries. Dogged by a serious image problem ever since, the Jesuits -- known formally as the Society of Jesus -- have just 55 members in the Czech Republic, a largely secular ex-communist EU country of 10.5 million people.

Priest says pope did not denounce him to Argentine junta

March 21, 2013 10:46
A Jesuit priest kidnapped and tortured during Argentina's military dictatorship said he and a fellow abductee priest were not denounced to the rightwing junta by Pope Francis. After the new pope came under intense scrutiny for allegedly playing a role in the arrest of Francisco Jalics and the late Orlando Yorio, Germany-based Jalics issued a statement Wednesday saying: "These are now the facts. "Orlando Yorio and I were not reported by Father Bergoglio," Jalics said, referring to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis and formerly the head of the Jesuit order in Argentina.

Pope's gentle message dodges hot button issues

March 19, 2013 14:01
With an inaugural homily urging respect for "God's creation", Pope Francis on Tuesday subtly pressed a conservative Catholic message while urgent challenges loom for the Church. The first Latin American pope has been heralded by supporters as a progressive, but scholars say he is unlikely to bend on Church doctrine -- and key moral issues were glaringly absent from his speech.

Pope Francis: Voice of poor, defender of orthodoxy

March 19, 2013 08:46
Pope Francis, wearing the mantle of a humble advocate for the poor while defending Catholic orthodoxy, rose from modest beginnings to become the first Latin American leader of the 1.2 billion-strong Church. The former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, has already won hearts in his first days as pontiff with a disarmingly informal style, choosing simple vestments and preferring to walk instead of ride in a limo.

Vatican rejects Argentina 'Dirty War' claims against pope

March 15, 2013 13:16
The Vatican on Friday rejected claims that Pope Francis had failed to protect two priests who were kidnapped and tortured by Argentina's military junta, and said he had in fact helped save lives. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first pope to hail from Latin America, has been criticised for his actions during Argentina's 1976-1983 "Dirty War", in which 30,000 people died or disappeared, when he was head of the country's Jesuits.

Priest abducted by Argentine junta reconciled with pope

March 15, 2013 12:01
A Jesuit priest whose arrest and torture by Argentina's military junta in the 1970s sparked criticism of Pope Francis said Friday he had reconciled with the newly elected pontiff. Amid allegations that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, then archbishop of Buenos Aires and now pope, betrayed him to the military regime, Father Francisco Jalics said in a written statement that he had spoken to Bergoglio years after his release.

Pope Francis can lead 'normal life' despite lung op

March 15, 2013 08:15
Pope Francis may be 76 and missing part of a lung, but he appears in good health and ready to launch into a demanding papacy which will include trips across the world to meet with the faithful. His predecessor Benedict XVI's resignation for age reasons at 85 years old sparked widespread calls for cardinals to elect a younger and more robust pope to the helm of the Church, preferably one with no previous health issues.

Australia archbishop says pope junta claims 'a lie'

March 14, 2013 20:30
Australia's most senior Catholic cleric on Friday spoke out about controversy over the role of Pope Francis under Argentina's military junta, calling it "a smear and lie". Argentine cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's election as the new pontiff has revived examination of the part he played during the dark days of his homeland's "Dirty War", when he was a leading member of the Jesuits. Some accuse him and his country's Church of having been too close to the brutal right-wing junta in power between 1976 and 1983.

Jesuit pope heralds global outlook without conspiracy

March 14, 2013 17:16
As the first Jesuit pontiff, Pope Francis will have a global outlook without the far-fetched theories often associated with a community long shunned by the Vatican hierarchy, experts said. The Society of Jesus, founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola -- a former Spanish soldier -- is sometimes depicted as an "army of shadows". Conspiracy theorists say the order controls everything from the Vatican's governing body, to the United Nations and the US banking system.

Pope 'in good health' despite boyhood lung op: Vatican

March 14, 2013 14:47
Pope Francis, at age 76 only two years younger than his predecessor Benedict XVI upon his election, enjoys good health, the Vatican said Thursday while confirming that he had part of his lung removed as a boy. "Many, many years ago he had an operation in which part of a lung was removed," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters the day after Francis's historic election. "Those who know him have always seen him in good health," Lombardi said, adding: "This is not a handicap in his life."
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