Roman Catholicism

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Church 'Outraged' Over Funeral for Trans Activist
Church 'Outraged'
at 'Scandalous'
Funeral
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Church 'Outraged' at 'Scandalous' Funeral

Trans activist Cecilia Gentili was memorialized at an iconic New York church, in iconic fashion

(Newser) - The funeral of a trans activist that was held at Manhattan's iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral went viral last week, and now the Archdiocese of New York is speaking out against it in no uncertain terms. Cecilia Gentili, who died at age 52, was a "pillar" of the...

Pope's Comments on Same-Sex Unions Make Waves

Francis suggests there could be ways to bless such unions

(Newser) - Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda. The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals...

Crop-Duster Sprays Water on Locals —But Not Just Any Water

"We can bless more area in a shorter amount of time," says Rev. Matthew Barzare

(Newser) - That wasn't rain falling in rural Louisiana on Saturday—it was holy water, sprayed by a crop-duster plane. "We can bless more area in a shorter amount of time," says Rev. Matthew Barzare of St. Anne Church in Cow Island, La. He apparently blessed 100 gallons of...

West Virginia to Diocese: You 'Knowingly Employed Pedophiles'

State files suit against diocese, bishop

(Newser) - Parents entrusted their children to West Virginia's Wheeling-Charleston Diocese schools and camps—not knowing who their children were potentially being exposed to. The West Virginia attorney general has filed a lawsuit against the diocese accusing it of not conducting adequate background checks for its employees, including priests, and not...

Priests, Scholars Issue Measure Last Employed in 14th Century

They accuse Pope Francis of spreading heresy

(Newser) - Several dozen tradition-minded Roman Catholic theologians, priests, and academics have formally accused Pope Francis of spreading heresy with his 2016 opening to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics. In a 25-page letter delivered to Francis last month and provided Saturday to the AP , the 62 signatories issued a "filial correction"...

Fatima Siblings Will Become Saints
Fatima Siblings Will
Become Saints

Fatima Siblings Will Become Saints

Children who saw visions of Mary will be canonized, church says

(Newser) - The two young siblings who Catholics believe saw a vision of the Madonna six times in the Portuguese village of Fatima in 1917 will be made saints, the Vatican said Thursday, per Reuters . Francisco and Jacinta Marto, along with their cousin Lucia Dos Santos, said they received three messages or...

Nun Who Succeeded Mother Teresa Dies
 Nun Who Succeeded 
 Mother Teresa Dies 
OBITUARY

Nun Who Succeeded Mother Teresa Dies

Sister Nirmala Joshi died of unspecified ailment at 81

(Newser) - The Indian nun who replaced Mother Teresa as head of the Missionaries of Charity died early today, the organization says. Sister Nirmala Joshi was 81. Her health had been declining in recent days, the charity says, without specifying the cause of her death. She was selected to lead the Roman...

Pope Francis: Big Families Are Good
Pope Francis: Big Families
Are Good

Pope Francis: Big Families Are Good

Softens his comment that Catholics needn't breed 'like rabbits'

(Newser) - Pope Francis praised big families today as a gift from God, after his comments that Catholics don't have to breed "like rabbits" made headlines this week. Francis said numerous children don't cause poverty in the developing world, as some have suggested, and that the real cause of...

Pope: No More 'Monsignor' for Most Priests

Francis aims to further simplify honorifics

(Newser) - Pope Francis has done away with the honorific title "monsignor" for all but a few priests, further evidence of his desire for priests to be simple, humble servants. The Vatican's secretary of state sent a letter to its embassies asking them to inform bishops' conferences of the change....

Pope: Church Should Accept Gays 'With Respect'

Says Vatican has been 'small-minded,' can't be 'obsessed'

(Newser) - More unexpected comments about homosexuality from Pope Francis: In a new interview with a Jesuit journal, he says the church cannot "interfere spiritually" in the lives of gays and lesbians, CNN reports. He's gotten letters from gays and lesbians who felt "socially wounded" by the church, "...

Follow Pope on Twitter, Get Time Off Purgatory Stay

Vatican offers 'indulgences' for social media use during Catholic World Youth Day

(Newser) - If you're a Catholic due to spend some time in purgatory before heading on up to heaven, we have good news for you: You can shorten the length of time you have to spend there just by following Pope Francis on Twitter , the Guardian reports. A papal court has...

So, What Was Pope John Paul II's 2nd Miracle?

Floribeth Mora says he healed her brain aneurysm

(Newser) - As promised, more details have been released on the second miracle that got Pope John Paul II cleared for sainthood . Floribeth Mora, a 50-year-old Costa Rican woman, told her story publicly for the first time today, tears in her eyes. She developed a brain aneurysm in 2011 and had no...

Britain's Top Cardinal Quits Amid Scandal

Keith O'Brien accused of inappropriate contact with 4 priests

(Newser) - The UK's top Roman Catholic cleric has resigned amid accusations of inappropriate behavior dating back 33 years. Cardinal Keith O'Brien was set to retire next month after voting on the next pope ; but after the scandal exploded over the weekend, Pope Benedict has accepted his immediate resignation, the...

Benedict's Pension: $3.3K/Month

Which is kind of a lot, considering the Vatican will pay his living expenses

(Newser) - Thinking about "pope" as your career goal? Consider the retirement package, which is apparently around $3,340 per month. That's how much Pope Benedict will get when he abdicates later this month, and while it may seem a bit low for someone who was the leader of the...

'Catholicism Inc.' Needs a Turnaround Artist

The pope is really a CEO: Bill Keller

(Newser) - The Catholic Church will be getting a new leader soon, and the cardinals making the selection would do well to think of the church as a business, writes Bill Keller in a New York Times op-ed titled, "Catholicism Inc." After all, the church employs more than a million,...

How the Papal Conclave Works


 How the Papal Conclave Works 

How the Papal Conclave Works

Process will be basically the same as if the pope died

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI is the first pope to step down since 1294 , so you probably have quite a few questions about what happens next. But it turns out the process the papal conclave will use to elect the next pope will be fairly familiar: With the exception of a period...

Who Will Be the Next Pope?
 Who Will Be the Next Pope? 

Who Will Be the Next Pope?

Cardinal Marc Ouellet a favorite

(Newser) - With Pope Benedict unexpectedly stepping down in a couple of weeks, who will take up the papacy next? USA Today , Reuters , and Bloomberg list some of the frontrunners. Could the church decide it's time to elect its first non-European leader? Quite a few of the choices fit that bill:...

Pope Takes Gay Marriage Opposition to New Heights
Pope Takes Gay Marriage Opposition to New Heights
christmas speech

Pope Takes Gay Marriage Opposition to New Heights

In Christmas address, he calls it 'manipulation of nature'

(Newser) - The pope used his Christmas speech today, in part, to further denounce gay marriage. Benedict XVI took his opposition "to new heights," the AP reports, saying that homosexuality is a "manipulation of nature" that destroys the "essence of the human creature." The annual speech, one...

Pope's First Tweet: 'I Bless All of You'

Pontiff uses personal Twitter account for first time

(Newser) - As promised , @Pontifex —otherwise known as Pope Benedict XVI—started tweeting today. The pope's first tweet from his personal account was a blessing, USA Today reports. He followed that up by answering a question, one of many posed to him since his Twitter account was announced using...

Catholics File Flood of Birth-Control Lawsuits

Bishops turn to the courts to fight health care law

(Newser) - Notre Dame's lawsuit yesterday was just the beginning, because America's Catholic bishops have turned en masse to the courts in an attempt to ensure that employees of Catholic institutions do not have health plans that cover birth control. Some 43 Catholic dioceses, schools, social service agencies, and...

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