Articles by Elise Harris
Vatican, secular leaders: Global action needed to prevent 'nuclear holocaust'
Nov 10, 2017 / 12:16 pmOn Friday, leading Vatican and secular diplomats urged world leaders to freeze investment into nuclear arms production, and to instead fund peace and development initiatives.
Pope bans sale of cigarettes in Vatican on health grounds
Nov 9, 2017 / 06:52 amIn a move likely to have some Vatican employees fuming, Pope Francis has decided to ban the sale of cigarettes inside the City State on the grounds that the Holy See cannot profit from a proven health hazard.
It's official: John Paul I moves forward on path to sainthood
Nov 9, 2017 / 02:22 amThe Vatican on Thursday announced that Albino Luciani – better know as Pope John Paul I – has moved forward on the path to sainthood, and can now officially be called “Venerable” by faithful around the world.
Pope Francis grieved by 'senseless violence' of Texas church shooting
Nov 7, 2017 / 06:15 amOn Tuesday, Pope Francis voiced his sorrow after 26 people were killed at a Baptist Church in Texas over the weekend, offering his support and praying that such acts of meaningless violence would come to an end.
More than just giving – World Day of the Poor highlights change of attitude
Nov 6, 2017 / 11:45 amAs the Church prepares to celebrate the first World Day of the Poor, an event announced by Pope Francis last year, one Vatican official said the event will be an opportunity to grow in mercy and charity, shaping attitudes toward the poor and needy.
Pope: Those in authority can't live 'double life,' must lead by example
Nov 5, 2017 / 06:06 amOn Sunday Pope Francis offered some punchy advice to both average faithful and people in positions of authority, saying true power is expressed through service and a good example, which Christians must always show to others in humility.
Pope taps inner Tom Petty on forced migration, a 'sign of the times'
Nov 4, 2017 / 04:38 amEchoing strains of the 1979 hit “Refugee” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pope Francis on Saturday told representatives from Catholic universities that just because people are often forced into becoming migrants and refugees, they don't have to live like it – at least, not where education is concerned.
Analysis: How Pope Francis defies stereotypes when it comes to the family
Nov 3, 2017 / 23:00 pmLast weekend, Pope Francis delivered a keynote speech to a major conference on the future of the European Union. Although the Pope is often characterized as a staunch progressive, his Oct. 28 speech was a reminder that his views on life, marriage, and sexuality go beyond the stereotypes with which he is often characterized.
Catholic universities study how to respond to migrant, refugee crisis
Nov 3, 2017 / 13:53 pmThis week, representatives from Catholic universities around the world are gathered in Rome to study how higher education can better respond to the global migrant and refugee crisis, particularly when it comes to research.
Pope Francis mourns victims in string of recent terror attacks
Nov 1, 2017 / 05:17 amAfter nearly 40 people were killed in terrorist attacks this week in Somalia, New York and Afghanistan, Pope Francis voiced his sorrow for loss of innocent life, and prayed for an end to the “murderous” hatred that spurs violence.
Pope: the saints weren't perfect, but they allowed God to touch their lives
Nov 1, 2017 / 04:54 amPope Francis marked All Saints' Day Wednesday saying the saints are honored not because they were perfect or did everything right, but because they allowed God to touch their lives and fought hard against sin.
Papal All Souls' Day Mass will be at cemetery for American war dead
Oct 31, 2017 / 23:08 pmPope Francis will visit on Thursday an Italian cemetery for American personnel killed in World War II, where he will say Mass for All Souls' Day.
Religious freedom, not secularism, key to Europe’s future, Vatican official says
Oct 28, 2017 / 21:30 pmIn 2003, British Prime Minister Tony Blair was asked about his faith during a magazine interview. As Blair began to offer an answer, he was interrupted, cut off by Alastair Campbell, the prime minister’s director of strategy and communications.
As Europe faces uncertain future, ambassadors eager to exchange ideas
Oct 27, 2017 / 02:04 amAhead of a Vatican conference exploring the future of the European Union, several ambassadors to the Holy See have said the event is a prime opportunity to share ideas with those who are beyond their usual circles.
The tradition of sacred choral music needs to be 'revived'
Oct 24, 2017 / 23:08 pmFor one member of “the Pope's Choir,” the Catholic Church, while appreciating sacred music, has in some respects lost the art of singing it in her parishes, prompting the need for a revival of traditional style across the world.
Sistine Chapel Choir releases new album for Advent, Christmas
Oct 24, 2017 / 10:16 amFor the third year in a row, the Sistine Chapel Choir has released a new CD, which this year is dedicated to Advent and Christmas, and features unique scores based on historic manuscripts from the Vatican Library.
Pope offers clarifications on new process for liturgical translations
Oct 22, 2017 / 11:43 amIn a letter responding to questions raised by Cardinal Robert Sarah on the new process of translating liturgical texts from Latin into vernacular languages, Pope Francis offered several points of clarification.
Pope Francis: Putting God first doesn't mean avoiding reality
Oct 22, 2017 / 04:18 amOn Sunday, Pope Francis spoke on the importance of both fulfilling our earthly duties and making God a priority, stressing that the two are never in opposition, but are complementary, with the primacy of God giving direction to our daily activities.
Pope slams 'eugenic' mentality that seeks to eliminate disability
Oct 21, 2017 / 03:47 amOn Saturday, Pope Francis issued a harsh condemnation of the underlying eugenic mentality in society that leads many to abort children who are are disabled, saying the Church must be a place of acceptance and welcome for all who are vulnerable.
Catechesis must encounter the disabled with love, archbishop says
Oct 21, 2017 / 01:01 amThe Church must learn “how to encounter disabled people today, how to allow them to have an encounter with Christ in the silence of their own interior and in the signs that indicate his presence in brothers; how to foster their commitment to witness and to be protagonists in the community as catechists, and therefore believers who transmit the faith, living it and teaching it,” Archbishop Rino Fisichella said Friday.