Francis: Women have 'special role' in church
Vatican City -- "Women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord," Pope Francis says.
Vatican
Francis talks about women and the faith
Catholics scrutinizing ever papal utterance for hints about how Pope Francis will view the roles of women in the church will certainly be studying his first comments on women, made today in his general Wednesday audience.
He spoke about “Resurrection of Jesus as the center of the Christian message that has resounded since the beginning and has been handed down so that it may reach us today.”
“The Resurrection of Christ is our strength!” Francis said.
Francis at Easter: transformation, world peace
In his first Urbi et Orbi message of his pontificate this Easter Sunday, Pope Francis, echoing the words of his namesake, invited people of all ages, from all walks of life to “ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace”.
His Easter message stressed the need for transformation in the world, especially the need to end warfare and build peace.
Francis feet washing sends signals across the world
In yet another rich use of symbols, an emerging preaching pattern of Pope Francis’ pontificate, he included women and Muslims in one of the most important liturgical celebrations in the Catholic calendar year.
Kneeling at the feet of 12 juvenile inmates in a Rome detention center, he washed and kissed their feet. The group included two women and two Muslims and ranged in age from 14 to 21.
Francis’ calls to humility and service have been two hallmarks in is young pontificate.
Pope washes feet of 12 young detainees to serve them 'from the heart'
The pope called washing another's feet an important act that shows that "the person who is most high among us must be at the service of the others."
Francis washes, kisses feet of two women, two Muslims
Francis hope note
Pope Francis today kneeled before 12 juvenile detainees in a Rome detention center during a Holy Thursday ceremony. He washed, dried and kissed their feet. Two in the group were women, two were Muslims, according to the Vatican.
The symbolism of these gestures will certainly move quickly beyond the Catholic church.
Vatican family czar says pro-life, peace-and-justice work a package deal
Q and A: Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, hopes to reintroduce Catholic teaching on the family in a positive key.
Bergoglio criticized church leadership before conclave
More evidence today the church’s cardinals knew what they were going to get when they elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope, as a serious reformer. There is a report this morning, through Cuba’s Cardinal Jaime Ortega, that Bergoglio offered strong criticism of church leadership and direction before the cardinals elected him the new pontiff.
Pope Francis' appointments will create church of the future
Analysis: If Pope Francis undertakes curial reform, the first question is not where might he begin, but how long does he have?
Friendship began with soccer, led to improved Catholic-Jewish ties
The bond Rabbi Abraham Skorka and then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio formed bridged the religions after some episodes of less-than-cordial relations in Argentina.
Pages
NCR Email Alerts
Sign up to get NCR updates by email. Existing users: change your preferences here. Enter your email address in the box below and click “Go.”
In This Issue
June 7-20, 2013
- Pope spotlights social teaching with blunt calls for ethical economy
- We face clear moral choices in priorities of our federal budget
- Mother Tekla: the most powerful woman in Rome
- [Print Edition Only] Special Section: Ministries PREVIEW
Not all of our content is online. Subscribe to receive all the news and features you won't find anywhere else.