Up to 3,000 church leaders, members and ecumenical partners from nearly every Christian tradition around the world will gather in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30 for the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches.
Pope Francis denounced widespread hunger due to wasted food as a symptom of a “throwaway culture,” and called for greater effort to build a worldwide “culture of encounter and solidarity” instead.
Savannah Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer spent Columbus Day visiting the oldest church in the diocese for the first time since he was ordained to head the diocese two years ago.
Like many others in the town of Jetafe, Father Chito Lozada and his staff at Santo Nino parish did not go inside their homes Oct. 15; they remained outdoors. They feared aftershocks that continued after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck earlier in the day.
The traditionalist Society of St. Pius X offered to celebrate a funeral for convicted war criminal Erich Priebke after the Diocese of Rome said the service would be allowed only in a private home, but violent protests outside the chapel forced cancellation of the Mass.
The church can describe itself as “apostolic” only if it shares the Gospel with the world, remaining faithful to the teaching of the apostles and living out Gospel values, Pope Francis said.
The office that handles the Vatican’s investment portfolio and its real estate holdings, as well as serving as the Vatican employment office and procurement agency, has asked an international financial risk-management company to review its books and procedures.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who as Vatican secretary of state drew rising criticism for failures of the Vatican bureaucracy he oversaw, stepped down Oct. 15 with a speech praising the pontificate of retired Pope Benedict XVI and stressing its continuity with that of Pope Francis.
Professing that the church is “catholic” means accepting its teachings, accepting the gifts it offers to help one grow in holiness and accepting the fact that it is composed of different people with different gifts and opinions, Pope Francis said.
With the adoption of a detailed new law on financial transparency, vigilance and information, the Vatican has almost completely revamped its finance laws in less than three years, the Vatican spokesman said.