Articles by Elise Harris
Pope will make two-day visit to Fatima marking apparition anniversary
Dec 17, 2016 / 05:59 amThough rumors have been floating around for some time, the Vatican confirmed Saturday that Pope Francis will travel to Fatima, Portugal May 12-13 in honor of the centenary of the apparitions.
Vatican police mark 200th anniversary with concert for needy children
Dec 16, 2016 / 08:11 amIn honor of their bicentenary, the Vatican Gendarmerie have decided to celebrate with an act of mercy: they will host a concert that will be used to fund a children’s hospital in Bangui and earthquake relief efforts in Central Italy.
'Have mercy on ISIS': The shocking prayer of a young Iraqi
Dec 16, 2016 / 04:02 amChristina Shabo was born under a tree in a refugee camp after her family fled bombing in their Iraqi hometown in 1991.
Vatican official: Religion in public has never been more at risk
Dec 15, 2016 / 15:32 pmWhile violent persecution against Christians assails swaths of territory the Middle East and Africa, one Vatican official says that Western nations face a different type of oppression, marked by the push to eliminate religion from public life.
Mission, synodality key themes in latest round of cardinal meetings
Dec 14, 2016 / 07:22 amPope Francis’ Council of Cardinals met for the 17th time this week, with synodality and the Church’s “missionary drive” forming the basis of the discussion on how reform of the Curia’s various departments will move forward.
This is how Pope Francis will celebrate his 80th birthday
Dec 13, 2016 / 04:58 amOn Saturday, Dec. 17, Pope Francis will celebrate his 80th birthday, which he will spend doing what he normally does: offering Mass and meeting with various heads of State and members of the Roman Curia.
How India's 'unreached' tribal areas are being evangelized
Dec 13, 2016 / 03:02 amEvery day in the remote villages of Northeast India courageous priests and nuns are braving the elements of the wild – including tiger attacks and elephant stampedes – to bring the Good News to people who have yet to hear the name of Jesus.
Pope: Our Lady of Guadalupe teaches us a faith that is not sugarcoated
Dec 12, 2016 / 10:39 amOn Monday, Pope Francis celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, pointing to Mary’s faith not as the result of false ideal where everything is rosy, but rather of unwavering strength particularly when life is at its worst.
In call to Coptic Patriarch, Pope says they are united by blood of martyrdom
Dec 12, 2016 / 05:20 amThe day after an explosion at the Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Cairo killed 25 people, mostly women and children, Pope Francis called the head of the Church to offer prayer, and to say they are united by the blood of their martyrs.
In a world torn by conflict, nonviolence is a Christian requirement, Pope says
Dec 12, 2016 / 04:34 amWhen it comes to the many conflicts splintering different parts of the world, Pope Francis said the Christian response must be one of nonviolence, which isn’t passive, but active and has roots in a strong family life.
New Rockville Centre bishop was baptized by Fulton Sheen
Dec 9, 2016 / 05:21 amOn Friday the Vatican announced that Bishop John O. Barres of Allentown – who was baptized by the famed and saintly Archbishop Fulton Sheen – will be taking the helm in the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Be like Mary – say yes to God, but not halfway, Pope Francis says
Dec 8, 2016 / 04:40 amThe contrast between the “no” of man in the Garden of Eden and the “yes” of Mary at the Annunciation was the heart of Pope Francis’ message for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which he said is an opportunity for each person to renew their own commitment to God.
In new interview, Pope skewers journalists who focus on scandal
Dec 7, 2016 / 09:49 amPope Francis gave an interview to a Belgian magazine in which he cautioned media to avoid several major temptations, including the desire to always focus on scandal – which he compared to “coprophilia,” a mental illness in which a person has an abnormal interest in feces.
Pope Francis: Never forget to smile, even when life is hard
Dec 7, 2016 / 04:13 amFor Pope Francis, one of most needed virtues of modern time is hope, which is something he said must never be abandoned no matter how hard life gets, and which is often expressed in the simple act of a smile.
Sacred music and … jazz? One composer's response to Vatican II
Dec 7, 2016 / 03:02 amFor American composer J.J. Wright, the Second Vatican Council's call to inculturate the Church's ancient musical traditions into “mission territory” – while preserving its unity – is something he has adopted personally with one of his greatest passions: jazz.
Guantanamo bishop moving to a new archdiocese
Dec 6, 2016 / 07:47 amOn Tuesday, the Vatican announced that Bishop Wilfredo Pino Estévez, who has led the Cuban diocese of Guantánamo-Baracoa for the past 10 years, will now be taking over as the new Archbishop of Camaguey.
Stephen Hawking and other experts weigh in on limits of artificial intelligence at the Vatican
Dec 4, 2016 / 03:03 amThis week the Vatican hosted a high-level discussion in the world of science, gathering experts to discuss the progress, benefits and limits of advances in artificial intelligence.
Pope Francis' letter to dying girl read aloud at her funeral
Dec 3, 2016 / 05:07 amPope Francis has again captured the hearts of the world, with a tear-jerking letter to a young Italian girl dying from cancer, which was read aloud at the girl’s funeral once she passed away.
Pope Francis meets U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the Vatican
Dec 2, 2016 / 07:58 amWhile he was in town for a global meeting on the crisis in the Mediterranean region, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stopped by the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Francis that likely centered largely on the challenges of migration.
Pope dedicates December to praying for end to child soldiers
Dec 2, 2016 / 04:15 amIn his latest prayer video, which highlights his prayer intention for the month of December, Pope Francis focused on putting an end to the phenomenon of child-soldiers, which he called a “form of slavery.”