Traveling to the birthplace of Abraham, Pope Francis urged believers to prove their faith in the one God and father of all by accepting one another as brothers and sisters.
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By CINDY WOODEN
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3/6/21
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In a low-key meeting followed closely in Iraq and beyond, Pope Francis and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the influential leader of Shiite Muslims in Iraq, spent 45 minutes speaking privately.
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By CINDY WOODEN
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3/6/21
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Visiting a Baghdad cathedral “hallowed by the blood of our brothers and sisters” murdered in a terrorist attack that shook the world, Pope Francis said their sacrifice must motivate faith and a commitment to working for the common good.
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By CINDY WOODEN
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3/5/21
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To consolidate peace and ensure progress, the government and people of Iraq must never treat anyone as a second-class citizen and must work each day to promote harmony, Pope Francis said.
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By Cindy Wooden
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3/5/21
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As Pope Francis packed his bags to travel internationally for the first time in 15 months, news stories were flashing warnings about the dangers of his March 5-8 visit to Iraq, not only due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but also because of Iraq’s long-term security problems, including bomb and rocket attacks.
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By PAUL HARING
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3/4/21
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Pope Francis has named Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J., a member of the Congregation for Bishops, the office that advises the pope on the nomination of bishops around the world.
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By CAROL GLATZ
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3/4/21
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Pope Francis’ upcoming apostolic visit to Iraq offers Americans a time for prayer and solidarity with the pope and the Iraqi people, said two leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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3/4/21
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Pope Francis told the people of Iraq he was going to their country as a “penitential pilgrim,” asking God’s forgiveness for years of war, persecution and destruction, and as a …
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By CINDY WOODEN
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3/4/21
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The House of Representatives passed the Equality Act in a 224-206 vote Feb. 25.
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By JULIE ASHER
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3/3/21
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On the same day that 10 rockets hit an air base in Iraq, Pope Francis said he had to travel to the country because he could not disappoint them.
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By CINDY WOODEN
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3/3/21
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Pope Francis and his aides are well aware of the security and health risks involved with his planned trip to Iraq, but “all the precautions have been taken” and the pope feels a sense of “urgency” to show his love and concern for the Iraqi people, said the director of the Vatican press office.
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By CINDY WOODEN
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3/2/21
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A week before Pope Francis was scheduled to arrive in Iraq, the Vatican nuncio in Baghdad and several members of the staff tested positive for Covid-19 and began self-isolating.
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3/1/21
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People should fast from gossiping and spreading hearsay as part of their Lenten journey, Pope Francis said.
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By CAROL GLATZ
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3/1/21
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The archdiocesan Catechetical Office’s Family Catechesis Advisory Committee and William H. Sadlier Publishing are sponsoring a virtual Lenten retreat Thursday, March 11, at 7 p.m.
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2/26/21
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Pope Francis accepted the resignations of 75-year-old Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, and 77-year-old Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and vicar for Vatican City State.
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2/24/21
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Pope Francis sent copies of a 17th-century book of spiritual meditations to members of the Roman Curia to help guide them during their Lenten retreat.
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By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES
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2/19/21
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A change in wording to the concluding doxology of orations in the Roman Missal, from “one God, for ever and ever” to “God, for ever and ever,” took effect on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17.
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2/19/21
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Lent is a time to reconsider the path one is taking in life and to finally answer God’s invitation to return to Him with one’s whole heart, Pope Francis said.
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By CAROL GLATZ
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2/17/21
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Marking the sixth anniversary of the beheading of 21 Christians on a beach in Libya, Pope Francis said they gave witness to Christ through their martyrdom.
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By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES
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2/17/21
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Citing leading experts in the field of fetal pain, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said the proposed Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would end the “excruciating suffering and physical pain of unborn babies” by barring most abortions after 20 weeks gestation.
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2/16/21
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