Pope Francis has expelled the Reverend Cristian Precht Bañados of Chile, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Santiago. This is the first formal resignation the Pope has decreed since every bishop in Chile offered to step down in…
Pope accepts resignation of US bishop accused of sexual harassment (Punch)
A US bishop accused of molesting adults resigned on Thursday, in the latest sex abuse scandal to rock the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Monsignor Michael J Bransfield as bishop of Wheeling-Charleston in the US state…
Pressure mounts on pope for tougher action on abuse scandals (Guardian)
With the Catholic Church rocked by a devastating US report into child sex abuse, Pope Francis has this week sharpened his critcism on the explosive issue — but he remains under pressure to enact far-reaching changes. The US grand jury…
Pope on Pennsylvania sex abuse report: ‘We abandoned the little ones’ (CNN)
Pope Francis has acknowledged “with shame and repentance” the Catholic Church’s failure to act over sexual abuse by clerics against minors going back decades, writing “we showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them.” In an unusually blunt…
Pope Francis declares death penalty inadmissible in all cases (BBC)
Pope Francis has changed the teachings of the Catholic faith to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, the Vatican has said. The Catechism of the Church, which sums up the teachings, had previously stated that the death penalty could…
Pope decries attack on Nigerian church as Christians protest killings (Punch)
Pope Francis on Sunday decried an attack on a church in Nigeria during which two priests and other worshippers were killed. Associated Press reports that the pontiff spoke on Nigeria during his remarks to the public in St. Peter’s Square.…
Pope Francis baptises Nigerian migrant ‘hero’ in Italy during Easter service (Independent)
Pope Francis on Saturday led an Easter vigil service, baptising eight adults, including a formerly undocumented Nigerian migrant beggar who became a hero when he disarmed an Italian thief wielding a cleaver. The baptism took place during a long Holy…
Pope washes the feet of inmates, reveals he has Cataracts (Nytimes)
Pope Francis urged inmates at a Rome prison on Thursday to never let their hopes be clouded like cataracts cloud the eyes — and revealed that he suffers from the condition and has to have surgery for it next year.…