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Rome Reports that Pope Francis has ordered Cardinal Bernard Law to stay away from the Basilica of St. Mary Major and is about to ship him off to a monastery are “completely and totally false,” according to a Vatican spokesperson.During a press briefing on Thursday about Pope Francis’ visit to St. Mary Major, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi said that Law had briefly greeted Francis and then exited the scene.The Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, however, reported that Francis had told Law to stop appearing in public at the basilica, where he retired...

Cardinal Bernard Law in 2008. Boston Catholics (myself included) were rooting for Cardinal Sean O’Malley to ascend to the throne of St. Peter this week. That didn’t pan out, as we all know, but maybe Catholics there received something of a consolation prize.The British tabloid The Daily Mail writes that Italian media is reporting that Boston’s disgraced former archbishop, Cardinal Bernard Law, 82, is being banished from his cushy residence by Pope Francis: But first days are all about making a good impression – even when you’re the Pope.So when the appearance of a disgraced cardinal threatened to cast a...

I am not a Catholic, but I find the concerted efforts to smear various Popes to be disgusting and contemptible.  In the case of Pope Francis, according to the Vatican, anti-clerical left-wing outlets are trying to accuse him -- without any evidence -- of wrongdoing during the reign of a military junta from 1976-1983.   Left-wingers in the United States responded predictably, with Michael Moore tweeting out a picture later revealed as a hoax, purportedly of Pope Francis offering communion to an Argentine dictator (to his credit, Moore issued a correction).It should be obvious that the attacks have nothing to...

CAIRO, JERUSALEM // Al Azhar, the 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islam learning, yesterday said it wanted "better relations" with the Vatican after years of acrimony. On Wednesday an Argentine cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergogli, was elected to succeed Benedict XVI. He chose the name Francis. Benedict's eight-year tenure was marked by scandals and controversies, including turbulent relations with the Muslim world. "We are hoping for better relations with the Vatican after the election of the new pope," said Mahmud Azab, an adviser to Ahmed Al Tayyeb, grand imam of Al Azhar. The departing pope angered Muslim leaders in 2006 when, in...

Pope Benedict XVI and Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew in 2006 at the Patriarch's residence in Instanbul Tuesday will be a landmark day in the history of Christianity and ecumenical relations: the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople will attend Pope Francis' installation Mass. As if that wasn't enough, three other Orthodox bishops are coming with him! I cannot stress enough what a hugely significant moment this is in Christian history! It is the first time that such a thing has happened since the Great Western Schism in 1054. This is almost impossible to believe!!! Here's the report that is rocking...

(Cardinal Napier, third from left) Paedophilia is an illness NOT a crime, says cardinal just days after papal conclave • Claimed people abused as youngsters who then become paedophiles 'not criminally responsible' • Says paedophilia 'is an illness, not a criminal condition' • Says those people do not deserve to be punished because they are damaged • Pope Francis said that he wants a 'church for the poor' A South African cardinal who helped elect Pope Francis has described paedophilia as a psychological illness and not 'a criminal condition'. The Catholic Archbishop of Durban, Wilfrid Fox Napier, told BBC Radio...

Habemus Papam! We have a pope! That was the word, or rather the words, from St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday, and it wasn't just a worldwide church that had awaited the news, but the world itself. And the news was good, as in the Good News. For suddenly the air in Rome and far beyond seemed filled with a hope that was almost palpable. Habemus Papam! Even as the white smoke was still drifting, spirits were lifting. And then the name that the new pope had chosen for himself was announced: Francis. As in Francis of Assisi, saint and exemplar....

Rome -- "May God forgive you." That's Cardinal Timothy Dolan's translation of a joke that Pope Francis told the College of Cardinals a day after being elected the 267th pontiff. Having watched the prayerful mien of some of the cardinals going into the papal conclave that would elect Argentinean Jorge Mario Bergoglio pope, I have reason to believe that God had something to do with Papa Francisco, as the Romans call their bishop. Others, of course, see it otherwise. "I don't think he's what we need right now in the Catholic Church," Madeline Cuomo, the sister of New York...

Like good wine that improves with age, let us give the youth the wisdom of our lives.� –Pope Francis, on old age, speaking to the assembled cardinals of the Church on March 15, 2013, two days after his election to the throne of PeterPope Francis gave a remarkable reflection today on old age. But before getting to that, first two remarkable videos, courtesy of Rome Reports:1. Pope Francis receives the keys of the papal apartment On Thursday evening, March 14 — 24 hours ago — Pope Francis received the keys to the papal apartments. So the apartments are open again.Cardinal...

Rome, Italy, Mar 15, 2013 / 11:38 am (CNA/EWTN News).- He thought it was a joke. The young doorman at the Jesuit motherhouse in Rome never expected to receive a phone call from Pope Francis. The Holy Father had to patiently and kindly convince the doorman who he was in order to speak with the Father General of the Jesuits to thank him for a letter the Pontiff received upon his election. According to Father Claudio Barriga, SJ, who recounted the incident in an email to fellow Jesuits around the world, the unexpected phone call from Pope came around 10:15 a.m. Rome...

In the Monday, April 4, 2005 Mullings I wrote: I am not certain why I feel as strongly as I do about the passing of Pope John Paul II. I am not Catholic. I am not even Christian. I felt the same way watching the coverage of the Conclave in the Vatican to choose a man to replace Pope Benedict I. I'm not sure why I was so taken by the process and so eager to see who would be chosen. I have proven over the past four or five months that my understanding of American politics is a little...

(Vatican Radio) Addressing the media as “dear friends”, Pope Francis spoke of how the role of mass media continues to grow and how it is indispensible for telling the stories of contemporary society. The Pope thanked the media for the service they have rendered over these past days, jokingly remarking on how hard the media has been working. He spoke about the complexity of recounting historical events like the election of a pope and of how important it is to present such an event in the light of Faith. “The Church” – he said – “does not respond to an...

Video at link.

I compiled this for a friend to pass on to her family, comprised of mostly fallen-away Catholics. She implored me to share it so others could pass it on. Pope Francis is both an Italian, and from Latin America. He combines the intellectual training of the Jesuits with the soul of a Franciscan. As archbishop of Argentina's most important diocese, he could have lived in a mansion on the cathedral's grounds; instead, he lived in a flat in an apartment building miles away, sharing his home with an elderly, crippled Jesuit. He rode the busses and subways to work, dressing...

In West Hollywood, Pope Francis' Stand On Gays Is Unimpressive March 14, 2013 For Giancarlo Urey, a 29-year-old lawyer who spent the day in West Hollywood when Pope Francis was named to the papacy, the new leader's anti-gay stance is not a good sign. Like his predecessor in the Vatican, Francis is equally committed to conservative, traditional doctrine, people who know him say, a sensibility fostered in part by his theological studies in Germany. He was a staunch opponent of abortion and same-sex marriage, issues that an increasingly secular Argentina has embraced. He once said allowing gay couples to adopt...

First the good news; the Catholic Church has a new pope. Now the better news; Pope Francis is a strong conservative who has expressed strong opinions about what constitutes adherence to Catholic doctrine. The elevation of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as the new Pope, who is now known as Pope Francis, (not Francis I because there has never been another Pope Francis) is a clear signal that the Roman Catholic Church has taken a decided turn to the right. Pope Francis will redefine the roll of priests to one that is more inclusive of evangelizing in an increasingly...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — An Argentine woman who grew up as the neighbor of the future Pope Francis says she was very briefly the object of his affections when they were just 12 years old. Amalia Damonte is now 76, just like the pope, and she still lives in a house just four doors down from where Jorge Mario Bergoglio grew up in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires. clear from the start that he was thinking about dedicating his life to God. Damonte especially remembers a handwritten letter he left for her, because it got her into a lot...

The metropolitans of Argentina and Italy will accompany Bartholomew. Moscow Patriarchate hopes in closer cooperation with Rome but excludes for now a meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill.Istanbul (AsiaNews) - The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I will attend Pope Francis's inaugural Mass. The Ecumenical Patriarchate Press Office informed AsiaNews about the decision, noting that this is the first time such an event occurs since the Catholic-Orthodox split in 1054, an important sign for Christian unity. The ecumenical patriarch will be accompanied by Ioannis Zizioulas, metropolitan of Pergamon and co-president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between...

In covering the selection of Pope Francis I, many in the media speculated as to whether the new head of the Roman Catholic Church would take a more liberal theological position on homosexuality and abortion. But in his regular Thursday appearance on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, Mark Steyn, author of “After America: Get Ready for Armageddon,” viewed that media speculation along with other “trivial” aspects of the coverage to be ridiculous considering the church has held those same beliefs for thousands of years now. “Well, you know, I think the papal coverage in the so-called serious media, particularly in the...

ATICAN CITY (AP) — Three rounds of ballots had been cast with no winner, but it was becoming clear which way this conclave was headed. When the cardinals broke for lunch, Sean O'Malley of Boston sat down next to his Argentine friend, Jorge Bergoglio. "He seemed very weighed down by what was happening," O'Malley said.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A message from above? That’s what several South Florida residents thought after looking toward the sky on the day a new pope was named. Most saw an angel in the clouds and grabbed their cameras to document the vision.

Rorate Caeli put up a diatribe against Pope Francis.After their informant rants like all the fires of hell against the anointed of the Lord with all sorts of innuendos (and one should be careful about that), the ultimate statement to which everything culminates in all ferocious spittle-flecked fury is this: “He has no manners to honor the Pontifical Throne.� Really? That’s like me! I would be such a donkey, braying badly. Shucks.It’s almost as if to say, it seems: “Damned be the Holy Spirit, who has no power to work on anyone, ever, and so we are in bitter despair!�One...

CARACAS (Reuters) - Late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez may have had a hand in Christ's decision to opt for a Latin American pope, acting President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday. "We know that our commander ascended to the heights and is face-to-face with Christ," Maduro said at a Caracas book fair. "Something influenced the choice of a South American pope, someone new arrived at Christ's side and said to him: 'Well, it seems to us South America's time has come.'" Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Roman Catholic...

This afternoon it was announced that Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio, who will now be Francis I, was chosen as Pope and the leader of the Catholic Church. Live Action has already put forth a piece regarding this historic occasion. Francis IThe piece mentions how Cardinal Bergoglio criticized priests who wouldn’t baptize children of unwed mothers. Such is a telling passage of how devoted the Church’s new leader really is to the pro-life cause. He realizes that to be pro-life is not only to care about the unborn child before he or she is born, but about caring about the dignity of...

Lets say it plain and simple, the New York Times op-ed about the UN Commission of the Status of Women is a last gasp attempt to steer nations away from helping to end violence against women and girls, and instead promote controversial social policies. Ending violence against women, the priority theme of this year’s meeting of the commission, is no joke. It is one of very few global challenges that 193 UN member states want to address concertedly. Why is it then that the United States and some European nations keep raising obstacles towards reaching consensus on policies to end...

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is known to LifeSiteNews readers as a valiant defender of life and family. In terms of homosexual ‘marriage’, Cardinal Bergoglio fought valiantly to have the law in Argentina continue to protect the traditional family. In July 2009, he called on the priests of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires to bring the faithful to an upcoming protest against homosexual "marriage." "Let's not be naive, we're not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God," wrote Cardinal Bergoglio in a letter sent to the monasteries of Buenos Aires....

"I live in Buenos Aires. Bergoglio has destroyed the archdioceses, persecuting every single orthodox priest.

Video of the then Cardinal Bergoglio celebrating Hanukkah....

The new leader of the Catholic Church, Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio, promises to be a pre-eminent spokesperson making the case for life in the world. Taking the name Francis I, Cardinal Bergoglio has spent many years living a life of simplicity and poverty modeled after his patron, St. Francis of Assisi. According to Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta, the new pope lives in a “simple and non-threatening way,” able to relate to the common person and converse on a level of familiarity with him. It may have been from this heart of familiarity with common man and the challenges that the...

March 13, 2013 (ActonInstitute) - Early today, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina was elected as the 266th pope of the Catholic Church. Here are nine things you should know about Pope Francis. 1. Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires in 1936. His father was an Italian immigrant 2. He’s the first pope from South America. The only remaining continents that have never had a pope come from their lands are Australia, Antarctica, and North America. 3. He’s the first Jesuit pope. 4. He only has one lung. His other lung was removed due to infection when he...

Boston, MA (March 13, 2013) -- The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) welcomed the appointment of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the papacy, following the sudden and unprecedented resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Foundation leaders expressed hope that the Catholic Church, under Pope Francis I, as he will be called, will respect and privilege pluralism and interfaith relations, based on earlier efforts with Nostra Aetete, the Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions. “As our Catholic friends, neighbors and colleagues celebrate the naming of their pontiff, we, as Hindu Americans, congratulate the Catholic Church and welcome Pope Francis...

Never mind that Vice President Joe Biden has been rebuked by his own bishop over his pro-abortion views, he will lead the U.S. delegation to the installation of Pope Francis, the White House said today. Biden is the first Catholic to serve as vice president and he will represent the United States at the installation Mass for Pope Francis on March 19, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Tom Rosica confirmed today. Biden’s own bishop has had to correct the pro-abortion politician on his misstating the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church. In the interview with the Delaware News Journal, Biden continued...

The following is the full text of Pope Francis’ address to Catholics after his election as the new Pope, as provided by the Vatican: Brothers and sisters good evening. You all know that the duty of the Conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother Cardinals have gone almost to the ends of the earth to get him… but here we are. I thank you for the welcome that has come from the diocesan community of Rome. First of all I would like to say a prayer pray for our Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI. Let...

No one here was prepared for his election – President Kirchner was oblivious to the news, tweeting about public projects in PatagoniaThe first Jesuit, the first Latin American (and indeed American), the outsider – these are the first impressions of a wider world floundering in surprise at the election of Argentine Jorge Bergoglio as Pope Francis I. Here in Argentina, nobody was prepared for the announcement either, though without doubt there’ll be celebrations nationwide over the coming days as the news sinks in and the world shines a light, if for a moment, on the new Pope’s home country. Jorge...

Pope Francis greets the pilgrims in St. Peter's Square and delivers his first Urbi et Orbi blessing. Credit: Mauricio Artieda/CNA. Vatican City, Mar 13, 2013 / 03:46 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis lives very simply, brings a pastoral approach to his ministry, and is a man of prayer, according to the Vatican’s press office director. Father Thomas Rosica, the English-language assistant for the Vatican press office, told journalists at a hastily arranged March 13 press briefing that he talked to Pope Francis this past Sunday. “Sunday night we were out for a walk and he pulled me over. He...

Several years ago a good friend came to me about joining in our parish's social justice program. He prefaced it by saying'it ain't what you think'. I am extremely anger with the high jacking of our language and the communist/socialist use of the term 'social justice' is an excuse for implementing totalitarian policies. In reading through several threads, I decided to post this vanity for everyone so maybe we can begin to claim our language back. here is a concise definition: In order to define social justice, let us begin, by taking a look at what social ministry is: Social...

uring CBS's special coverage of the papal election on Wednesday, correspondent Mark Phillips singled out two dissenters from Catholic tradition in the middle of crowd of hundreds of thousands in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, mere minutes after the white smoke went out of the Sistine Chapel's chimney, and before Pope Francis emerged onto the balcony over the piazza. The two activists, who wore pink "ordain women" pins, not only sought to change the Catholic Church's teachings on the all-male priesthood, but spotlighted "LGBT issues [and] reproductive health care" – a thinly-veiled reference to abortion and contraception – as...

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 13, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In his congratulations message to the new Pope Francis I, President Obama once again cited his “work with Pope Benedict XVI.” The phrase is reminiscent of his message to Pope Emeritus Benedict upon his resignation, when he wrote, “I have appreciated our work together over these last four years.” President Obama, who opposes the Catholic Church's position on a host of social issues and has defunded Catholic agencies over their opposition to abortion, did not specify what this work might be. His message to the new pope called Pope Francis “a champion of...

Pope Francis is the first ever from the Americas, an austere Jesuit intellectual who modernized Argentina’s conservative Catholic church. Known until Wednesday as Jorge Bergoglio, the 76-year-old is known as a humble man who denied himself the luxuries that previous Buenos Aires cardinals enjoyed. He came close to becoming pope last time, reportedly gaining the second-highest vote total in several rounds of voting before he bowed out of the running in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is known to LifeSiteNews readers as a valiant defender of life and family. In terms of homosexual ‘marriage’, Cardinal Bergoglio fought valiantly to have the law in Argentina continue to protect the traditional family. In July 2009, he called on the priests of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires to bring the faithful to an upcoming protest against homosexual "marriage." "Let's not be naive, we're not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God," wrote Cardinal Bergoglio in a letter sent to the monasteries of Buenos Aires....

AS ARCHBISHOP of Buenos Aires, he rode the bus, cooked his own meals and chose to live in a modest apartment instead of his official palace. The son of an Italian immigrant railway worker, when made a cardinal in 2001, appealed to fellow Argentines to forgo flying to Rome to celebrate his elevation. He asked them to donate the plane fare to the poor instead.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Profession: Servant of the Servants of God 2/12/2002 He´s the latest Latin-American rumored for the papacy, and he´s already at the head among the possible successors of Peter. If elected, he would be the first Jesuit pope by Sandro Magister                               (From "L´espresso" no. 49, November 28 - December 5, 2002, original title: "Bergoglio in Pole Position") Midway through November, his colleagues wanted to elect him president of the Argentine bishops´ conference. He refused. But if there had been a conclave, it would have been difficult for him to refuse the election to the papacy, because he´s the...

New Pope Francis I is a conservative in the mold of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II. That’s especially true on the issue of abortion, which he called a “death sentence” for the unborn in 2007. “We aren’t in agreement with the death penalty,” he said during that speech, “but in Argentina we have the death penalty. A child conceived by the rape of a mentally ill or retarded woman can be condemned to death.” In his writings, Francis wrote, “we should commit ourselves to ‘eucharistic coherence,’ that is, we should be conscious that people cannot...

Church, say hello to the new Boss. For the cardinal-electors to have gone out of Europe for the first time in over a millennium, to have gone to a Jesuit for the first time ever, and to have gone to the runner-up at the last Conclave in all of five ballots – with more than half the electorate changed over since last time – is not merely decisive.... Indeed, it's epic.  And make no mistake about it – this is a mandate. To no small degree, having come close to facing the "guillotine" last time, Jorge Mario Bergoglio has...

10 Facts about our new Holy Father Pope Francis. Major curveball. Who saw this coming? Here are 10 quick facts about Pope Francis (Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio): Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio, was born in Buenos Aires, one of the five children of an Italian railway worker and his wife. He's a Jesuit. The first Jesuit Pope ever.Pope Francis is known for his humility, doctrinal conservatism, defender of the Church's moral theology, and a commitment to social justice.He has been critical of liberation theology.He is close to Comunione e Liberazione.He has opposed legislation introduced in 2010 by the Argentine Government to allow same-sex...

Official Site

Anyone have the stomach to see what the pervert websites are saying about the new Pope (besides the MSM?) I can't bring myself to read these anymore.

Rome -- In the days leading up to the conclave, John Allen offered a profile each day of one of the most frequently touted papabili, or men who could be pope. On March 3, he profiled Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was elected March 13 to be Pope Francis. Here is the profile Allen wrote: While there are still no tracking polls to establish who's got legs as a papal candidate, the 2013 conclave at least has one objective measure not available in 2005: past performance. Many of the cardinals seen as candidates now were also on offer the last...

Drudge says Argentina gets pope

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