Pope Francis on Sunday gave the Catholic Church new saints, including hundreds of 15th-century martyrs who were beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam, as he led his first canonization ceremony Sunday in a packed St. Peter’s Square
religion
France’s Latest Terrorist Suspect: A French Convert Near Retirement Age
French soldiers in Mali arrest a 58-year-old Frenchman who is suspected of being a member of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb—and who may prove to be a key source of intelligence on the group
France Legalizes Gay Marriage Despite Vocal and Angry Opposition
France’s leftist-controlled legislature passes law legalizing marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples, but the deep division the measure produced across France will linger.
Viewpoint: Does Pope Francis’ Outreach to Non-Catholics Signal Deeper Reform?
Interfaith relations have always been awkward for the Roman Catholic Church. That may change—if the new Pope’s statements are any indication
Francis’ New Papal Style: A Comparison with Benedict
Though he walks with a limp, the new Pope exudes a strength the retired one did not have toward the end. Will it result in new moral authority?
The Pope and Argentina’s President: Friends at Last?
Though the President of Argentina was the first world leader received by the Argentine Pope, the two have a rough history
The New Pope and Argentina’s ‘Disappeared’ of the Dirty War
Argentina is proud of its new Pope but some have questions about how he conducted himself when the country was ruled by the military
France May Aid Syrian Rebels Unilaterally If EU Doesn’t Lift Arms Embargo
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said March 14 Paris may begin supplying arms to anti-Assad rebels if partners don’t respond to a Franco-British appeal to lift the embargo.
John Allen Jr.: The Man Who Picked the Pope
While the media focused on a select group of probable successors to Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican expert for the National Catholic Reporter recalled the man who finished second in the balloting the last time a pope was chosen.
Pope Francis: A Prime Example of Jesuit Virtue
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the first Jesuit to be elected Pope. If you don’t know what a Jesuit is, take a brief look at Bergoglio’s life, because he has made efforts to personify the order’s virtues: …
Why the Election of Pope Francis Is Important for Latin America
From the moment Spain’s first boat arrived on the shores of the Western Hemisphere, the Catholic Church’s influence permeated the region, and its longstanding influence has yet to cease.
Habemus Papam: Francis, the First Pope from the Western Hemisphere
Almost everyone had forgotten about the Argentine. But he almost beat out Ratzinger the last time around.
Good Lord: In China, Christian Fundamentalists Target Tibetans
Tibet is one of the most coveted locations for nondenominational American and Korean Christian groups angling for mass conversion
