Francis
Francis Calls Abuse of Indigenous People in Canada a ‘Genocide’
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis has called the devastation visited on generations of Indigenous people in Canada by European colonizers — carried out with the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church — a “genocide” as he returned to Rome after a six-day trip to the North American country. As well as again denouncing […]
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Why Catholicism Remains Strong in Canada
EDMONTON, Alberta — The centerpiece of Pope Francis’s journey to Canada this week was his historic message of apology on Monday to the country’s Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in the notorious residential school system that tried to erase their culture, and in which thousands of children were abused and died. But as […]
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Pope Francis Will Travel to Canada to Apologize to Indigenous Community
OTTAWA — Pope Francis is traveling to Canada this week to apologize to Indigenous communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the country’s notorious residential school system, where thousands of Indigenous children died, and countless others were sexually and physically abused. The visit comes after years of pleas from Indigenous leaders and leading politicians […]
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Pope Francis Dispels Rumors He’s About to Retire
ROME — Over the last few weeks, close watchers of the Roman Catholic Church have carefully studied shadows on the Vatican walls for proof that Pope Francis is about to retire. They pointed at an unexpected move to create new cardinals in August as a sign that Francis, 85, was stacking the college that will […]
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Federico Carboni Becomes Italy’s First Assisted Suicide
ROME — For more than a year, media reports kept Italians up-to-date on the travails of a 44-year-old man known only as “Mario” as he sought to end his life through physician-assisted suicide. Paralyzed 12 years ago in a traffic accident, “Mario” faced a series of legal, bureaucratic and financial hurdles in his pursuit of […]
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Deep in Vatican Archives, Scholar Discovers ‘Flabbergasting’ Secrets
VATICAN CITY — David Kertzer put down his cappuccino, put on his backpack and went digging for more Vatican secrets. “There’s an aspect of treasure hunting,” said Mr. Kertzer, a 74-year-old historian. Moments later he cut through a crowd lined up to see Pope Francis, showed his credentials to the Swiss Guards and entered the […]
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Pope Francis Meets With Canadian Indigenous Leaders Seeking Apology
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Monday held his first Vatican meeting with Indigenous groups from Canada who were seeking his apology over the Roman Catholic Church’s involvement in a system of boarding schools that abused Indigenous children for over 100 years. The meeting, with two of Canada’s three largest Indigenous groups, suggests that the […]
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Pope Deplores the War in Ukraine but Not the Aggressor
ROME — The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Pope Francis broke protocol and went directly to the Russian Embassy in the Holy See to appeal for peace. The next day he spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, offering him spiritual support. As the war intensified, he raised his voice against “unacceptable armed aggression” and […]
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Benedict Faulted for Handling of Abuse Cases When He Was an Archbishop
ROME — A report commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church in Munich and released on Thursday accused the retired Pope Benedict XVI of mishandling at least four cases of sexual abuse by priests when he was the archbishop there. Members of the law firm that conducted the investigation also said Benedict had attended a meeting […]
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