World Youth Day

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Pope Embraces the Kids via Church's Tablet 2.0

Francis opts for gadget to sign himself up for World Youth Day

(Newser) - Pope Francis today opened the registration period for next year's World Youth Day in Poland, using a tablet to sign himself up from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square during the traditional Sunday blessing. The pontiff was joined by two young people as he extended an invitation to...

3 Million Crowd Copacabana to Hear Pope

It's the second-most attended papal address ever

(Newser) - Take note, Mick Jagger: For the final Mass of his historic return to Latin America , Pope Francis basically sold out not a stadium, but an entire 2.5 mile beach. As the AP reports, Francis this morning headed to Rio's Copacobana Beach, where some 3 million cheering faithful crammed...

Busy Pope Running Staff Ragged

Francis hits beach, then visits Rio slum on foot

(Newser) - Pope Francis may be 76, but that's not slowing him down: He's maintaining a schedule so busy —and getting busier—that aides are struggling to keep up, the AP reports. Yesterday, for instance, he had a full day planned in Brazil, then added two extra events, including...

Pope in Rio: Throngs, a Bomb, Protests

His Fiat made a wrong turn, but it's been mostly smooth sailing

(Newser) - Pope Francis is back on his home continent for the first time this week, and what a reception he got. He landed in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro yesterday for a week of World Youth Day festivities to boisterous crowds, and a somewhat confused driver. The AP reports that the...

Vatican Offers Pilgrims Abortion Forgiveness for 6 Days

Excommunications to be lifted at Madrid's World Youth Day

(Newser) - The Vatican is marking World Youth Day celebrations in Madrid by offering women who have had abortions an easy way to become Catholics again, reports the Guardian . Abortion is punishable by instant excommunication and "normally, only certain priests have the power to lift such an excommunication, but the local...

Pope to Kids: Spurn 'Spiritual Desert'

Young should change lives of 'quiet despair,' Benedict pleads

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI called on young Christians to revive spirituality by rejecting modern society's greed and materialism, AP reports. At a mass of 350,000 young pilgrims in Sydney, and a global TV audience of millions, the pope called for "a new age in which hope liberates us from...

Aussies May Have Slipped Pope a Cat

Vatican denies presence of papal loaner for company

(Newser) - There’s a new papal mystery swirling around the Outback—is Pope Benedict hanging out with a borrowed kitten? Organizers of the Catholic youth festival say they gave Benedict a gray loaner named Bella to keep the cat-loving pontiff company during his Australian sojurn. But when pressed, a Vatican spokesman...

'Go Green,' Pope Urges Youth
 'Go Green,' Pope Urges Youth 
Jul 14, 2008 4:35 AM CDT

'Go Green,' Pope Urges Youth

Pontiff pleads for the earth as he kicks off visit to Australia

(Newser) - The Pope yesterday called on the world—particularly young people—to combat global warming with "a style of life that eases problems caused to the environment," reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Pope Benedict issued his plea just minutes before touching down in Australia for an official visit. The...

High-Tech Pope to World Youth: Bless U

Church looks to reach young Catholics with text messages

(Newser) - The Catholic Church is going digital. During July’s World Youth Day in Sydney, Pope Benedict will reach out to the 225,000 young Catholics in attendance by text message, "using new ways to connect with today's tech-savvy youth," a spokesman tells Reuters.

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