Mother Teresa's order prays for old foe Hitchens

2011-12-16T04:30:23Z

India's Missionaries of Charity order said it would pray for British writer Christopher Hitchens' soul, despite his aggressive campaign against its Nobel prize-winning founder, Mother Teresa

Cubans honor Catholic patron ahead of papal visit

2011-12-12T11:00:11Z

HAVANA (Reuters) - White-robed priests burned incense as they marched slowly through Havana's narrow streets, giving Catholic faithful a rare glimpse of Cuba's patron saint outside her remote eastern home.

The ceremony was one of many witnessed by tens of thousands of people across the communist-...

Pennsylvania priest arrested, accused of possessing child porn

2011-12-11T13:30:14Z

PITTSBURGH, Pa (Reuters) - A Roman Catholic priest was arrested on charges he viewed child pornography in the rectory of his Pittsburgh-area church, the diocese said on Sunday.

The Rev. Bartley Sorensen, 62, pastor of St. John Fisher Church in Churchill,

Tweeting cardinals spread the word in 140 characters

2011-12-03T13:30:27Z

As the Vatican's top culture man, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi breaks off from his rounds at least once a day to shoot off a tweet to his followers, either snappy quotes from the Bible, famous philosophers and dons, or details about art festivals, all designed to keep religion relevant for a younger generation.

"The conc...

Vatican laments 'illegitimate' bishop at China ordination

2011-11-30T16:31:12Z

The Vatican on Wednesday said it disapproved of the presence of an excommunicated Chinese bishop at an ordination ceremony, having asked that no "illegitimate" clergy take part.

The ordination of Luo Xuegang in Yibin in Sichuan was approved by both China's official church and the Vatican -- a sign tensions could be thawing after a run...

Excommunicated bishop attends ordination in China

2011-11-30T04:30:39Z

A Chinese bishop excommunicated by the Vatican attended an ordination ceremony on Wednesday, a move likely to anger the Holy See, which had asked that no "illegitimate" clergy take part in the rite.

The ordination of Luo Xuegang in Yibin in the southwest province of Sichuan was approved by both

2011-11-29T05:30:09Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it was sincere about better ties with the Vatican, a day before the planned ordination of a bishop that will be a test of whether the two sides can rein in tensions over control of religio...

Vatican gives approval for Chinese bishop's ordination

2011-11-28T16:30:39Z

The Vatican gave its approval on Monday for the ordination of a Chinese bishop in a conciliatory gesture to China's official church but called on "illegitimate" bishops not to attend the rite.

Pietro Luo Xuegang, 47, who built his career within the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) -- China's official church, will be ordained as bishop...

Pope sees hope in Africa on second visit to continent

2011-11-20T16:30:30Z

Pope Benedict XVI ended his second visit to Africa on Sunday after a trip that saw him present the continent's Catholic Church as a source of hope at a time of waning faith in parts of the West.

Several times during his three-day trip to the West African country of Benin, a voodoo heartland as well as a bastion of Catho...

Pope celebrates giant mass in voodoo heartland

2011-11-20T08:30:11Z

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass at a stadium hosting tens of thousands on Sunday in Benin, wrapping up a visit that saw him sign off on a grand vision for his church's future in Africa.

Some 50,000 people filled the stadium in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, a country considered both the heartland of voodoo an...

Pope visits cathedral in African voodoo city

2011-11-19T06:30:08Z

OUIDAH, Benin (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Saturday visited the city considered the capital of voodoo in West Africa, praying at a Catholic cathedral just ...

Thousands welcome pope on visit to voodoo heartland Benin

2011-11-18T18:30:27Z

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Benin to a joyous welcome from thousands Friday in a nation considered a voodoo heartland and warned against "unconditional submission" to the market and finance.

Residents lined the streets as Benedict passed in his popemobile, including women wearing skirts with his picture, and even fishermen saluted with their paddles from their boats in the l...

Don't put all trust in markets, pope tells Africa

2011-11-18T07:30:15Z

COTONOU (Reuters) - Pope Benedict, arriving on his second trip to Africa as Roman Catholic leader, on Friday urged African nations to resist the temptation to surrender to market forces as they grow and modernize.

The pope arrived in the largest city in

Catholic diocese approved to buy "Hour of Power" church

2011-11-17T22:30:19Z

SANTA ANA, Calif (Reuters) - A plan to sell Crystal Cathedral, a California mega-church known for its "Hour of Power" broadcasts, to a Roman Catholic diocese for $57.5 million was approved on Thursday by a ...

Pope heads to voodoo heartland on Africa visit

2011-11-17T19:30:17Z

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Benin on Friday, marking his second visit to Africa in a nation considered the heartland of voodoo and after his 2009 trip to the continent led to an outcry over condoms.

He is expected to be welcomed by tens of thousands of Benin citizens as well as pilgrims from

Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican takes legal action over kissing ads

2011-11-17T16:30:50Z

The Vatican said Thursday that it was taking legal action to prevent the publication of a photo montage showing the pope kissing a leading imam as part of a Benetton advertising campaign.

The White House slammed the campaign, which also showed US President Barack Obama<...

Pope heads for Africa, where debate over condoms rages

2011-11-16T19:30:10Z

Pope Benedict XVI heads for Africa this week, where he is likely to face questions over the Catholic Church's stance on condoms on the continent hardest hit by HIV and AIDS.

His arrival in the West African nation of Benin Friday will mark the pontiff's second visit to Africa.

His first in 2009 to Reuters) - The U.S. Roman Catholic Church will establish a body in January to house disaffected members of the Episcopal Church, beginning with a few dozen ministers and at least two congregations seeking communion, U.S. bishops were told Tuesday.

Some 35 of 67 Anglican ministers who have applied to join the C...

Chicago archdiocese settles abuse case for $3.2 million

2011-11-15T17:01:09Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has agreed to a $3.2 million settlement with a man abused by a priest when he was a student at a parish school, lawyers for the victim said Tuesday.

The priest, CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has agreed to a $3.2 million settlement with a man abused by a priest when he was a student at a parish school, lawyers for the victim said on Tuesday.

The priest, Reuters) - The U.S. Roman Catholic Church will establish a body in January to house disaffected members of the Episcopal Church, beginning with a few dozen ministers and at least two congregations seeking communion, U.S. bishops were told on Tuesday.

Some 35 of 67 Anglican ministers who have applied to join th...

Bishops told to help US Catholics 'embrace anew Jesus'

2011-11-14T20:30:43Z

Bishops from throughout the United States gathered in Baltimore on Monday to hear a clarion call from their leader to breathe new vigor into the Roman Catholic Church.

Opening a two-day annual meeting of the Reuters) - A wind-swept fire tore through a landmark Catholic retreat in the Colorado mountains on Monday, heavily damaging the site where Pope John Paul II spent an afternoon in 1993 while attending World Youth Day in Denver.

The blaze erupted in a three-sto...

Catholic Bishops To Address Gay Marriage At Baltimore Meeting

2011-11-13T13:00:20Z

Gay marriage will be among the issues discussed by U.S. bishops at their fall assembly in Baltimore

Gay marriage will be among the issues discussed by U.S. bishops at their fall assembly in Baltimore.

The November 14 – 16 meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (...

Religious leaders in Assisi denounce fanaticism

2011-11-07T09:32:43Z

Religious leaders joined with Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday to denounce violence perpetrated in the name of their faiths, amid growing religious fanaticism across the world.

"No more violence, no more war, no more terrorism! Never again! In the name of God, that every religion bring justice and peace, forgiveness and life and love to the world!" the pope said at a ceremony in the Saint Francis basilica i...

Irish Vatican closure saddens dwindling faithful

2011-11-07T03:00:38Z

DUBLIN (Reuters) - In the week that Ireland announced it was closing its embassy to the Vatican, the pews at Dublin's main Roman Catholic church are less than a third full for Sunday morning mass...

Catholic paper retracts column on devil and gays

2011-11-04T12:00:32Z

CONWAY, Massachusetts (Reuters) - The oldest Roman Catholic newspaper in the United States has retracted an opinion column that said the devil may cause homosexual attraction after the essay was condemned by gay rights groups.

The 184-year-old weekly newspaper, the Boston Pilot, run by the ...

Catholic paper retracts column saying devil may control gays

2011-11-04T10:00:13Z

CONWAY, Mass (Reuters) - The nation's oldest Roman Catholic newspaper retracted an opinion column that said the devil may be behind gay attraction after the essay was condemned as cruel and wrong by gay rights groups.

The weekly paper, the Boston Pilot, which is run by the Archdiocese of Boston

Vatican stunned by Irish embassy closure

2011-11-04T07:30:22Z

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Catholic Ireland's stunning decision to close its embassy to the Vatican is a huge blow to the Holy See

Parishioners asked to attend church unarmed

2011-11-02T06:30:34Z

MILWAUKEE (Reuters)- Roman Catholic bishops in Wisconsin are urging their parishioners not to bring weapons to church now that a new law permits state residents to carry concealed firearms.

"Intuitively, we understand that acts of violence, destruction, and murder are antithetical to the message and person of Pope Benedict XVI created three new saints of the Catholic Church on Sunday in recognition of their missionary and social work with a canonisation mass in St Peter's Square.

"Christians can show the world God's love by loving their neighbour. Today, the Church shows its members three new saints who let themselves be transformed by divine charity,...

European rabbis urge Vatican to fight anti-Semitic rebels

2011-10-19T11:00:14Z

PARIS (Reuters) - European rabbis and Holocaust survivors in the United States urged the Vatican Wednesday to suspend unity talks with ultra-traditionalist Catholics until their movement pledged to renounce anti-Semitic members in its ranks.

European rabbis urge Vatican to renounce rebels

2011-10-19T09:31:56Z

PARIS (Reuters) - European rabbis urged the Vatican Wednesday to suspend unity talks with an ultra-traditionalist Catholic rebel society until the movement pledged to fight what they called anti-Semitism in its ranks.

The

Susan Sarandon calls Pope Benedict a Nazi: report

2011-10-17T14:00:11Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress and social activist Susan Sarandon was reported to have called Pope Benedict a Nazi during a public discussion at a U.S. film festival in New York.

The movi...

Weary pope uses mobile platform for first time

2011-10-16T10:30:16Z

Pope Benedict XVI made use of the same mobile platform used by his long-ailing predecessor John Paul II for the first time on Sunday, with the Vatican saying it was to "ease his tiredness."

The 84-year-old pope used the wheeled platform to make his way from the sacristy t...

US bishop charged in child-abuse priest case

2011-10-14T20:30:34Z

Prosecutors charged the Roman Catholic bishop of Kansas City, Missouri on Friday of failing to report a priest accused of taking lewd pictures of young children.

Bishop Robert Finn, 58, is the most senior Catholic church official in the United States ever to ...

Haiti president talks reconciliation with ex-leaders

2011-10-12T17:30:10Z

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haitian President Michel Martelly sought to rally prominent political figures behind him on Wednesday, meeting with two former presidents in an effort to encourage reconciliation among past rivals.

Martelly, who swept to the preside...

'Til 2013 do us part? Mexico mulls 2-year marriage

2011-09-29T16:31:52Z

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico City lawmakers want to help newlyweds avoid the hassle of divorce by giving them an easy exit strategy: temporary marriage licenses.

Leftists in the city's assembly -- who have already riled conservatives by legalizing gay marriage -- proposed a reform to the civil code this week that would allow couples to ...

Catholic leader, confidant to a president, dies in New Orleans

2011-09-29T11:30:21Z

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - One of the oldest former leaders of the Catholic church in the United States, retired Archbishop Philip Matthew Hannan, who gave the eulogy for

Pope fails to satisfy on first state visit 'home'

2011-09-25T20:30:19Z

Pope Benedict XVI's first state visit to his native Germany fell far short of the expectations of sex abuse victims and those clamouring for a more open and tolerant Church.

Benedict's four-day marathon, which wrapped up Sunday, taking in Berlin, the former communist East German city of Erf...

Open-air mass wraps up pope's first 'home' state visit

2011-09-25T15:30:18Z

Pope Benedict XVI flew out of his native Germany Sunday after celebrating mass with around 100,000 on the final day of a visit that has disappointed many inside and outside the Church.

The two-hour mass was one of the high points of an exhausting trip, his first state visit home that took the 84-year-old pontiff from Pope Benedict XVI was to hold a mass for around 80,000 faithful in Germany's Catholic heartland amid widespread disappointment over his first state visit to his native country.

Protestants, Jews and groups representing people who suffered abuse at the hands of Catholic priests all expected more from the trip which has taken the 84-year-old pontiff from Pope Benedict XVI celebrated an open air mass for around 30,000 people Saturday amid a minor security scare, a day after a meeting with victims of sex abuse by priests left him "deeply shaken."

Around two hours before the mass, in the eastern German city of Erfurt, a man fired four shots from an air gun at two security officials. The incident took place around one kilometre (600 yards) from the ceremony'...

'Moved' pope meets abuse victims in Germany

2011-09-23T18:30:22Z

Pope Benedict XVI met with victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy Friday on a visit to his native Germany and expressed regret for their suffering, the Vatican said.

"Moved and deeply shaken by the sufferings of the victims, the Holy Father expressed his deep compassion and regret over ...

Bishop Timothy Dolan Wants Obama To Push The Reset Button On Gay Marriage

2011-09-23T09:00:14Z

Bishop Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wants Obama to push the reset button on gay marriage

Archbishop Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wants President Ba...

Pope 'understands' those leaving Church over abuse scandals

2011-09-22T18:30:26Z

Pope Benedict XVI expressed understanding Thursday for those who had turned their backs on the Catholic Church after the recent sex abuse scandals, on his first state visit to his German homeland.

At the start of a four-day trip, the pontiff also took a conciliatory tone with thousands of protesters rallying in free-wheeling, increasingly secular Berl...

Joy, protests and apathy await pope in native Germany

2011-09-21T20:30:30Z

Pope Benedict XVI's first state visit to his German homeland begins here Thursday with the threat of mass protests and the lingering taint of Church sexual abuse scandals set to cloud his welcome.

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics has a gruelling schedule for the four-day stay, combining official talks with outreach to the faithful, many of whom have grown alienated during his six-year-old papacy.

Supporters of pope's German visit blast boycott

2011-09-21T06:00:07Z

BERLIN (Reuters) - Supporters of Pope Benedict's tour of Germany this week criticized on Wednesday politicians who expressed doubts over his conservative views, his planned speech to parliament and ...

German-speaking Catholics want reform from Rome

2011-09-21T04:30:25Z

Pope Benedict XVI faces a clamour for change as he heads to Germany for his first state visit, with calls for reform on many fronts -- from recognising gays to ordaining women to the priesthood.

Grievances over the Vatican's "out of touch" attitudes towards sexuality and the fam...

Pope 'looking forward' to trip home to Germany

2011-09-17T18:30:14Z

Pope Benedict XVI says he is looking forward to his upcoming trip to his homeland Germany, while stressing that God, not "spectacle," is the focus.

The main aim of his visit, from Thursday to next Sunday, will be to help "God to penetrate our field of vision," the pope said late Saturday.

In a rare move, he made his comments on a German television programme that has...

German pope ventures into land of Luther and Marx

2011-09-16T04:30:14Z

ERFURT, Germany (Reuters) - Indifference, irritation and, inevitably, protest will likely mark a papal trip to the former East Germany that includes an historic meeting in the one-time home of Martin Luther to find ways Catholics and Protestants can work together to sav...

Vatican says open to accord with traditionalists

2011-09-14T07:00:11Z

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Wednesday told an ultra-traditionalist splinter group they will have to accept some non-negotiable doctrinal principles before they can fully rejoin the Roman Catholic Church.

Leaders of the dissident

Child abuse victims accuse pope of crimes against humanity

2011-09-13T14:30:34Z

An international group for victims of sexual abuse by priests said Tuesday it was asking the International Criminal Court to prosecute Pope Benedict XVI for crimes against humanity.

The Survivors Network of tho...

Upon Return From Vatican, Mexican Bishop Vows To Continue Gay Outreach

2011-09-12T06:00:09Z

Raul Vera Lopez, the Catholic bishop of Saltillo, Mexico has vowed to continue his outreach to the gay community

Raul Vera Lopez, the Catholic bishop of Saltillo, Mexico has vowed to continue his outreach to the gay community.

The Vatic...

Vatican admits 'grave failures' over Ireland abuse scandal

2011-09-03T18:30:14Z

The Vatican on Saturday acknowledged "grave failures" in handling a child sex abuse scandal involving priests in southern Ireland as Dublin insisted the Holy See helped block investigations.

In its long-awaited response to an o...

Maoists want Manila to free more rebels before talks resume

2011-09-03T01:00:06Z

MANILA (Reuters) - Maoist rebels Saturday demanded the release of at least five more detained guerrilla leaders before peace negotiations could resume with the Philippines government, the chief negotiator of the communist-led National Democratic Front said.

Luis Jalandoni, a former Roman Catholic priest, said his group had al...

Rick Santorum On Piers Morgan Says Being Gay Is 'Sinful'

2011-09-01T06:30:18Z

Rick Santorum on Wednesday conceded during a CNN 'Piers Morgan Tonight' interview that he believes being gay is a 'sin'

Rick Santorum on Wednesday conceded during a CNN Piers Morgan Tonight interview that he believes being gay is a 'sin.'

The 53-year-ol...

Poland pilgrims' annual trek to honor Black Madonna

2011-08-31T16:30:38Z

Each August for the last 300 years, thousands of Poles have made a spiritual journey to the country's most revered monastery, home to an ancient Catholic icon believed to work miracles.

Carrying rosaries, crosses and hiking poles, believers of every age, entire families, scouts, soldiers, even the disabled, trek hundreds of kilometres -- some more than 600 -- to venerate the Black Madonna of Czestochowa.

The tradition goes back to 1711 when the bubonic plague dec...

China moves Tibet hardliner to heavily Catholic province

2011-08-28T21:30:05Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - The hardline Chinese official removed last week as Communist Party chief of restive Tibet has been made head of the province in the center of contention over China's Catholics, giving him an influential role in another sensitive religious issue.

<...

Pope earns rare praise from leading German leftist

2011-08-25T14:30:42Z

PARIS (Reuters) - Pope Benedict has reaped praise before his visit to his German homeland next month from one of the last people one would expect -- the sharp-tongued leader of the former communists from old East Germany.

U.S. lawyer says Vatican knew of priest's sex abuse

2011-08-22T14:30:21Z

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - A lawyer representing a victim of priest abuse in a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic church said on Monday Vatican documents show the church hierarchy and the pope were ultimately responsible.

A lawyer for the church disagreed, sayi...

Pope Benedict Anti-Gay Marriage Speech Cut Short By Freak Storm

2011-08-22T05:30:12Z

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday was cut short from delivering a speech on marriage in Madrid, Spain by a freak storm

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday was cut short from delivering a speech on marriage in Madrid, Spain by a freak storm that delivered strong winds and sheets of rain, the AFP reported.

As many as 1.5...

Pope leaves after youth festival in storm-hit Madrid

2011-08-21T18:30:24Z

Pope Benedict XVI told 1.5 million pilgrims to spread the faith Sunday as he brought to an end lavish Catholic youth festivities in Madrid marked by a violent storm, blistering heat and protests.

After spending a night under the stars, the faithful cheered as the 84-year-old arrived at a vast Madrid airbase, hit by sheets of rain, bolts of lightning and powerful winds the n...

Papal mass ends festivities in storm-hit Madrid

2011-08-21T08:30:14Z

Pope Benedict XVI, emerging into the sun after being lashed by a violent storm, urged 1.5 million pilgrims to share the faith Sunday as he brought lavish festivities in Madrid to a close.

After spending a night under the stars, the faithful cheered as the 84-year-old arrived at a vast Madrid airbase, hit by sheets of rain, bolts of lightning and powerful winds the night bef...

Storm lashes pope, pilgrims at youth festival

2011-08-20T19:30:15Z

A violent storm lashed Pope Benedict XVI and around one million pilgrims at an open-air service in Madrid, forcing him to cut short his speech and drenching the faithful who had waited for hours in blistering heat.

As the heavens opened during World Youth Day celebrations Saturday night, Benedict's skullcap was swept off and an assistant tried to shelter the 84-year-old po...

Pope Benedict Shielded From Gay Kiss-In

2011-08-20T13:30:10Z

Police in Spain on Thursday shielded Pope Benedict XVI from a planned gay kiss-in protest

Police in Spain on Thursday shielded Pope Benedict XVI from a planned gay kiss-in protest.

A similar protest last November during the pontiff's last visit to the Roman Catholic stronghold included roughly 200 gay men, lesbians and allies embracing as the Holy ...

Pope says priests must live saintly lives

2011-08-20T07:00:23Z

MADRID (Reuters) - Pope Benedict said Saturday Roman Catholic priests must live saintly lives and men should only enter the priesthood if they were convinced they could live by all the Church's rules, including celibacy.

On the third day of a visit that has been marked b...

Pope leads service recalling sins, child abuse

2011-08-19T17:30:17Z

Pope Benedict XVI, seated before a sea of young pilgrims in Madrid, led a service Friday recalling Christ's crucifixion and the world's sins, including rape and crimes against children.

The 84-year-old pontiff presided from a vast white stage in city's Plaza Cibeles square over a Stations of the Cross devotion marking the torments of Pope Benedict XVI a rapturous reception as he presided over a lavish ceremony during Catholic festivities in a sweltering Madrid.

Thursday's adoring welcome was in sharp contrast to scenes nearby, where baton-wielding Spanish anti-riot police dispersed about 150 anti-pope protesters who had gathered in the capital's Puerta ...

Youths from across the world hail 'Benedicto' in Madrid

2011-08-18T20:30:10Z

Hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims gave Pope Benedict XVI a rapturous reception as he presided over a lavish ceremony Thursday during Catholic festivities in a sweltering Madrid.

The adoring welcome was in sharp contrast to scenes nearby, where baton-wielding anti-riot police dispersed about 150 anti-pope protesters who had gathered in a square.

It was the secon...

Hackers attack site of Catholic youth celebrations

2011-08-18T13:30:32Z

Hackers temporarily blocked the official World Youth Day site Thursday just as Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Madrid to preside over the festivities, a spokeswoman for the event said.

The site (www.madrid11.com) was taken down for about an hour at around midday (1000 GMT) and the event's computer experts were trying to determine the source of the attack, the spokeswoman said....

Pope starts Spain visit with call for economic ethics

2011-08-18T10:00:22Z

MADRID, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict denounced economic structures that put profits ahead of people Thursday at the start of a trip to recession-hit Spain where the costs of the pontiff's visit have sparked violent protests.

...

Spain anti-pope protesters face off with pilgrims

2011-08-17T19:30:35Z

Thousands of protesters angry over a visit by Pope Benedict XVI for a lavish youth festival took to Madrid's streets, to be confronted by Catholic pilgrims and riot police.

The protesters were separated by lines of riot police from the pilgrims who sang "hallelujah" and sat on the ground and prayed, but clashes broke out when the police arrested an anti-pope demonstrator ...

Vatican releases confidential papers on abuse case

2011-08-17T18:30:34Z

The Vatican on Wednesday took the unprecedented decision to release confidential files about an abuse case in the United States in an attempt to defend itself against accusations of a cover-up.

The documents are a response to a high-profile lawsuit revolving around the sovereign immunity status of the Vatican in relation to the case of a now-de...

John Paul II musical packs crowd ahead of papal visit

2011-08-17T18:30:15Z

About 1,500 people flocked to a musical about John Paul II's life, including his years as a student under Nazi rule in Poland, on Wednesday in Madrid on the eve of Pope Benedict XVI's arrival in the city.

The show, called "No Tengais Miedo" or "Fear Not", is bustlin...

Anti-pope protesters face off with pilgrims in Madrid

2011-08-17T17:30:20Z

Thousands of protesters angry over a visit by Pope Benedict XVI for a lavish youth festival took to Madrid's streets Wednesday, and were confronted by Catholic pilgrims who sang "hallelujah" and sat on the ground and prayed.

No serious incidents were reported as dozens of riot police kept the two groups apart in and around the central Puerta del Sol square.

"God yes,...

Spanish gays plan 'kiss-in' protest for pope

2011-08-17T08:30:31Z

Spanish gays and lesbians say they will hold a protest "kiss-in" Thursday in front of Pope Benedict XVI when he joins huge Catholic youth festivities in Madrid.

The kiss-in is being organised on Facebook by gay groups including Asamblea Transmaricabollo de Sol, which was set up during popular "indignant"...

Priests to forgive abortion in Pope youth festival

2011-08-17T05:00:12Z

MADRID (Reuters) - The Vatican has granted priests the right to forgive the sin of abortion when hearing the confessions of hundreds of thousands of young people attending a Roman Catholic youth festival in Spain<...

Pilgrims attend giant Madrid mass, launch party for pope

2011-08-16T18:30:16Z

Hundreds of thousands of sweltering pilgrims crammed into central Madrid for a giant open-air mass Tuesday, launching a million-strong, six-day Catholic youth party for Pope Benedict XVI.

The rock-festival style celebration of World Youth Day has drawn faithful from 193 nations, according to organisers -- but also criticism in the midst of Madrid on Tuesday, launching a lavish six-day youth party for Pope Benedict XVI.

The faithful will pack into the emblematic central Madrid square of Cibeles for an inaugural mass celebrated by Madrid's archbishop, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela.

A massive white stage decorated wi...

Dutch sex abuse panel probes 1950s Catholic deaths

2011-08-16T04:00:12Z

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch commission investigating sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests has found an unusually high number of deaths of minors at a church-run hospital in the early 1950s, the public prosecutor said.

A statement by the prosecutor's office on Tuesday reported "a considerably higher number of deaths ... of minors" at the p...

Catholic pilgrims pour into Madrid for youth festival

2011-08-15T13:30:13Z

Catholic pilgrims from across the world flocked to Madrid Monday for a youth festival expected to draw more than a million faithful, with the highlight an open-air mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.

The World Youth Day festival, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday, has been criticised, however, for the costs involved in welcoming the head of the The Vatican will display the papal ruling to excommunicate Germany's Martin Luther dated January 3, 1521 in an exhibition of hundreds of priceless documents from its secret archives from February 2011.

A website for the exhibition said Pope Leo X...

Crystal Cathedral bankruptcy sale sparks bidding war

2011-08-10T19:00:15Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The bankruptcy sale of Crystal Cathedral, the glass-walled Orange County church known for its "Hour of Power" broadcasts, has touched off a bidding war...

Relic of Pope John Paul II on its way to Mexico

2011-08-10T15:30:30Z

A vial containing the late pope John Paul II's blood will soon be winging its way to Mexico in a bid to help bring down crimes rates in the largely Catholic country, Vatican Radio reported Wednesday.

An episcopal conference in Mexico has requested that the relic be sent over and, the official ...

Toilet paper in Vatican colours on sale ahead of papal visit

2011-08-10T13:30:43Z

Renova, one of Europe's biggest producers of household paper products, has launched toilet paper in the colours of the Vatican flag in honour of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Spain next week.

Each pack contains two perfumed rolls of toilet paper, one ye...

Martin O'Malley Rejects Catholic Church's Opposition To Gay Marriage

2011-08-09T11:00:07Z

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley rejected calls from the Catholic Church to not sponsor a gay marriage bill

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley rejected calls from the Catholic Church to not sponsor a gay marriage bill.

O'Malley said he supported an effort earlier this year to legalize gay marriage in Maryland – which ended without a vote in...

Vatican Investigates Mexican Bishop's Outreach To The Gay Community

2011-08-01T06:00:07Z

The Vatican is investigating the outreach work of Raul Vera, the Catholic bishop of Saltillo, Mexico

The Vatican is investigating the outreach work of Raul Vera, the Catholic bishop of Saltillo, Mexico.

Vera confirmed to the Zocalo...

PolitiFact Concludes: Most Catholics Support Gay Marriage

2011-07-31T08:30:07Z

The right-leaning media watchdog group PolitiFact says it's mostly true that a majority of Catholics support gay marriage
The right-leaning media watchdog group PolitiFact says it's mostly true that a majority of Catholics support gay marriage.

Garden State Equality Chairman Wayne Newton is "Mr. Las Vegas," but he could be the "Mister" of wherever he is. "Mr. Rollins" or "Mr. Bighorn" or "Mr. Polson" or "Mr. Whitefish." "Mr. Montana," even. He sort of takes over the scene, be it a breakfast nook in a lakeside village or an entire municipality.Last week I visited with the Newtons near Flathead Lake in the upper-nether-western region o...

Catholic priest says denied entry to China

2011-07-26T14:31:01Z

An outspoken Hong Kong Catholic priest said Tuesday he has been denied entry into China due to an escalating row between the Vatican and Beijing over the ordination of bishops.
Italian-born Franco Mella said Ch...

China bars HK activist priest as Vatican tension

2011-07-26T04:30:13Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China blocked a Hong Kong Catholic priest and rights activist from entering the mainland last week in what he said may have been a show of unhappiness with the Vatican for excommunicating two bishops rece...

Vatican recalls envoy to Ireland after child abuse report

2011-07-25T14:30:45Z

The Vatican on Monday recalled its envoy to Ireland to formulate an official response to a damning report on the Catholic Church's handling of child abuse by priests that sparked government outrage.
"Apostolic Nuncio Giuseppe Leanza has been recalled for consultations" after the publication of the judicial report into abuses in an Irish diocese "and in par...

China criticizes Vatican for excommunicating bishops

2011-07-25T02:30:12Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Monday the Vatican's recent excommunication of two Chinese bishops who were ordained without papal approval was "unreasonable" and "rude," in a sign of escalating tensions between the Vatican and ...

China to ordain more bishops amid Vatican spat

2011-07-22T01:30:37Z

China's state-controlled Catholic church plans to ordain at least seven more bishops, a top church official said Friday, after a series of such ordinations worsened already tense Vatican ties.
Liu Bainian, deputy head of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), said the new bishops would be ordained "on an auspicious day", w...

Vatican, Malaysia establish diplomatic ties

2011-07-18T11:30:21Z

The Vatican and Malaysia have established official diplomatic ties, the Holy See announced on Monday after talks between Pope Benedict XVI and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
"In the cordial conversations, the positive dev...

Vatican Pope New Year

2011-01-02T05:31:41Z
Pope Benedict XVI holds the pastoral staff as he celebrates a mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI urged Christians to remain strong in the face of intolerance and violence in a New Year's appeal Saturday that came hours after a b...

Vatican Pope

2011-01-02T05:31:37Z
Pope Benedict XVI, framed by marbles statues, delivers his blessing during the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Copyright 2011 AP News

Vatican Pope New Year's Eve

2011-01-01T04:30:11Z
Pope Benedict XVI holds up the ostensory as he celebrates a New Year's Eve vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI marked the final hours of 2010 on Friday with public prayer and a word of concern for families struggling wi...

Vatican Pope New Year Eve

2011-01-01T03:31:33Z
Pope Benedict XVI visits the nativity scene in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI marked the final hours of 2010 on Friday with public prayer and a word of concern for families struggling with economic troubles. Benedict gave thanks for God's ...

APTOPIX Vatican Pope New Year Eve

2011-01-01T03:01:24Z
Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's square to bless the nativity scene at the Vatican, Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI marked the final hours of 2010 on Friday with public prayer and a word of concern for families struggling with economic trou...

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