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POPE FRANCIS ABANDONS CHRISTIAN SYRIAN REFUGEES, TAKES ONLY MUSLIMS TO VATICAN INSTEAD Spokesman Massimiliano Signifredi called the incident 'regrettable' - adding: 'The problem here is the three Syrians arrived after the March 20 deadline. They arrived just after the agreement between the European Union and Turkey. Mr Signifredi said: 'Our staff went to Lesbos and spoke with the people who were selected. But everything was decided by the Vatican. CHRISTIAN BROTHER AND SISTER REFUGEES FROM SYRIA SAY THEY HAVE BEEN ‘LET DOWN’ BY POPE FRANCIS AFTER HE LEFT THEM BEHIND IN A LESBOS REFUGEE CAMP DESPITE PROMISES THEY WOULD BE...

The Vatican committee that approves elevations to sainthood will meet Tuesday to consider a recommendation that Mother Teresa of Calcutta becomes Saint Teresa, the Holy See announced on Monday. With the long-awaited decision seen as a formality, Pope Francis is expected to sign a decree approving the canonisation of the 1979 Nobel peace prize winner and set a date and venue for it to happen.

Pope Francis described the influx of migrants into Europe as an 'Arab invasion' before explaining that the new arrivals will enhance Europe for the better. The pontiff was giving a speech to an audience of French Christians when he reflected on Europe's history of migration and the positive impact it has had on its culture today.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In much of the world, Friday's historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in Havana, Cuba, will be hailed as a breakthrough. Attitudes are more mixed, however, in Ukraine, long the front line of tensions between Catholics and the Russian Orthodox. There, the 5-million-strong Greek Catholic Church has suffered terribly for its loyalty to Rome, constituting the world's largest underground religious body during the Soviet era, and it's also a leader in civil resistance to the current Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine. In this essay commissioned by Crux, the Rev. Andriy Chirovsky,...

As the Rubio campaign tries to halt the momentum of Senator Ted Cruz in Iowa, it has released a new ad aimed directly at evangelical voters, called "Faith," in which Senator Marco Rubio discusses Christianity. ... On Screen Mr. Rubio begins by saying, "Our goal is eternity, the ability to live alongside our creator and for all time." ... "The purpose of our life is to cooperate with God's plan." The ad closes with Mr. Rubio's approval message, as his entire family smiles for the camera.

A new book reveals that Pope Pius XII was intimately involved in a plot to kill Hitler. His contacts with German Catholics from the days when he was Apostolic Nuncio put him in a unique position to orchestrate the overthrow of the tyrant. Today, it's difficult to imagine a pope strategizing the downfall of a dictator. But it's also difficult for us to imagine the terror that gripped Europe at that time. Extreme times call for extreme measures that are rarely contemplated in peace time... ...With all their good intentions, some bishops seem to have forgotten that the peaceable kingdom...

If you are a typical observant Catholic who has struggled with this papacy, dealt with distress caused by his words and actions, and generally struggled with dislike for the pontifex, it's OK. Well, all right, it's not: honestly, it is both strange and painful for a Catholic to be at odds with the Successor of Peter. It is, however, completely understandable. Why? Because, in this case, he gives every indication of not liking you first. In fact, I think it's safe to say that we are dealing with the fascinating-and unique-spectacle. Namely, a Bishop of Rome who truly dislikes the...

History hasn't looked kindly on the Catholic Church during WW II. The conventional narrative is not the whole storyAt six in the morning on Sunday, 12 March, a procession snaked toward the bronze doors of St. Peter’s. Swiss Guards led the line, followed by barefoot friars with belts of rope. Pius took his place at the end, borne on a portable throne. Ostrich plumes stirred silently to either side, like quotation marks. Pius entered the basilica to a blare of silver trumpets and a burst of applause. Through pillars of incense he blessed the faces. At the High Altar, attendants...

Pope Francis told a Roman Catholic meeting on family issues on Monday that the Church should not be a stuffy "museum of memories" but have the courage to change if that was what God wanted. Francis urged bishops at the start of a three-week gathering, known as a synod, to humbly empty themselves of conventions and prejudices. They should not "point fingers at the others to judge them" or feel superior to those with different ideas. In a passage that appeared to be directed at unbending traditionalists, the pope said bishops should beware the "hardening of some hearts, which despite...

For adherent Catholics the announcement of the pending visit of Pope Francis promised much. Some felt that perhaps the Vatican had finally realized that the American Catholic Church represents the very future survival of the Catholic Church worldwide. There was great hope among some that Francis would come to America and say, “Thank you America; thank you for always being there in times of need for so many around the world, even those who hate you as the Bible directs; thank you American Catholics for contributing so much to support foreign missions; thank you for being the pro-life beacon in...

Here is the Vatican translation of the Pope's address to victims of sexual abuse by the clergy, who he met with early this morning at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. Following his address, the Pope met privately with each of the individuals present at the meeting. * * * My dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, I am grateful for this opportunity to meet you. I am blessed by your presence. Thank you for coming here today. Words cannot fully express my sorrow for the abuse you suffered. You are precious children of God who should always expect our...

The greatly heralded Pope Francis, beneficiary of 24 hour news coverage from all news networks, has once again given us insight into his inner self in a sermon at St Patrick's Cathedral in New York City (Transcript of Sermon) . After starting the service, Pope Francis gave a heart warming shout-out to his "religion of peace", “Muslim brothers and sisters” when he said this: “I would like to express two sentiments for my Muslim brothers and sisters: Firstly, my greetings as they celebrate the feast of sacrifice.” The Pope clearly understands that for the last 1400 years, Islam has held...

View of interior of the catacombs of Saint Gennaro in Naples. (us.fotolia.com | dudlajzov) At Christmas 1969, Professor Joseph Ratzinger gave a radio talk with the provocative title, “What Will the Future Church Look Like?” (You can find it in Faith and the Future, published by Ignatius Press). One of the concluding paragraphs was destined to become perhaps the most quoted excerpt from Ratzinger’s extensive bibliography, when Professor Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI: “From the crisis of today a new Church of tomorrow will emerge – a Church that has lost much. She will become small and will have...

FRONT ROYAL, VA — Millions of Americans, including many Catholics, were stunned when Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Catholic Archbishop of New York, attacked opponents of illegal immigration as “nativists” in a recent and widely-circulated column in a liberal New York tabloid. Unfortunately, Cardinal Dolan’s outburst represents a long line of liberalism on the part of America’s bishops — a position based not only on their “Social Justice” leftism, but because the welfare state which they celebrate doles out over a billion dollars a year to their Non-Government Organizations (Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Migration and Refugee Services, and so on)....

Florida’s US Senatorial Candidate Patrick Murphy, at present a US Representative (D-Jupiter) says, on page 6 of ballotpedia.org that he OPPOSES “Human Needs Over Animal Rights!” Murphy also states on the same graph that he “Strongly Favors” ABORTION; the issue in the candidates’ quiz is stated as “Abortion is a woman’s unrestricted right.” Murphy also “Strongly Favors Same-Sex Marriage.” Now Floridians have a clear choice in the question that asks why the Obama administration and his mainstream media hacks–the propaganda wing of the Democrat party–are having such a hissy fit over the MN dentist who shot the beautiful lion Cecil,...

While “Jurassic World” swallows the box office, the White House has requested a copy of a more rarefied film based on the life of James Gralton — the only Irishman ever deported from Ireland, in 1933. Spies said President Obama and his family plan to watch “Jimmy’s Hall,” by social-realist UK filmmaker Ken Loach, on their upcoming Martha’s Vineyard vacation. (It’s PG-13.)

SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia (AP) — Pope Francis denounced the "throwaway" culture of today's society that discards anyone who is unproductive as he celebrated his first public Mass in Bolivia on Thursday, one of the key days of his South American pilgrimage. It was to culminate with a summit of farmers, fishermen and indigenous whose causes have long been championed by history's first Latin American pope.

Catholic Church traces its origins back to Jesus Christ himself. Jesus Christ established a church nearly two thousand years ago. (1 Timothy 3:15) He said he will build one church not multiple churches. He said “Upon this Rock I will build My church." (Matthew 16:18) and "There shall be one fold and one shepherd." (John 10:16).The Holy Spirit will guide the Church.( John 16:13) through Apostles(Acts 4:8).Jesus Christ is the truth, then the Church which He founded and guides has all truth (John 14:6).If all denominations claiming to bible based churches all those 38,000 denominations teach and preach differently for...

GUAYAQUIL, Ec. – Pope Francis kicked off the start of a three-nation trip across South America today with his first mass, with over a million Ecuadorians in attendance, in the coastal city of Guayaquil. Delivering the mass in Spanish, the Pope spoke about the importance of family in modern society, saying, “It needs to be helped and strengthened, lest we lose our proper sense of the services which society as a whole provides.” During his sermon, Pope Francis announced to Christians around the world that God had called upon him, instructing him “to revise the most sacred of texts, the...

Once again, this time by the New York Times, it has been proven that the only group that it is politically correct to bash or offend is Christians. They turn the other cheek and forgive those who trespass, rather than behead and bomb, or storm newspaper offices to murder and maim. That much was admitted by New York Times editor for standards Phil Corbett in defending the newspaper’s decision to publish Monday a picture of Pope Benedict XVI fashioned out of condoms, after being among those that refused to publish the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Mohammed that prompted a...