Articles by Elise Harris
There's no question – reporting abuse is a must, Cardinal O'Malley says
Feb 16, 2016 / 09:45 amAfter recent media reports suggested the Vatican is telling bishops to cover up sexual abuse, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has said that reporting abuse is not just a civil responsibility, but a moral one.
Pope Francis names new Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva
Feb 14, 2016 / 18:27 pmSlovenia-born Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic will be the Holy See’s next Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, a significant appointment given his experience in diplomacy.
Pope Francis has a new book for kids
Feb 13, 2016 / 07:03 amAlready in his brief, three-year pontificate Pope Francis has a track record of papal firsts, but in March he will add yet another to his list: authoring a children's book.
Pope Francis sends airborne blessing to Mother Angelica
Feb 12, 2016 / 09:28 amWhile on board the plane taking him to Cuba and then Mexico, Pope Francis took a moment to send a special blessing to EWTN’s foundress Mother Angelica, and to ask her for her prayers.
The silent reform of Benedict XVI's papacy
Feb 11, 2016 / 14:29 pmIn his new book on Benedict XVI, Vatican journalist Marco Mancini argues that while the retired pontiff became known for his shocking resignation three years ago, his real legacy began far earlier.
Lent is a time of pruning and reconciliation, Pope Francis says
Feb 10, 2016 / 10:24 amIn his Ash Wednesday homily, Pope Francis said that Lent is the perfect time to let go of selfish and indifferent attitudes, returning to God with the help of prayer, penance and acts of charity.
If mercy doesn’t reach your pockets, it’s not real, Pope says
Feb 10, 2016 / 06:05 amFor Pope Francis, mercy isn’t just spiritual, but is something that ought to be expressed in concrete acts of service and in sharing one’s goods with the poor, which was a key tradition during Jubilee years throughout scripture.
Cover sinners with the blanket of mercy, Pope Francis tells priests
Feb 9, 2016 / 15:03 pmPope Francis met with 650 of the 1,000 priests who've been chosen as Missionaries of Mercy, telling them to show the tenderness of God’s love to those who confess to them during the Jubilee.
Cardinal council wraps up prep work on new Vatican departments
Feb 9, 2016 / 14:33 pmAs Pope Francis' ongoing process of reform continues to move forward, his council of advisers have finished their proposals for two new Vatican departments, which would merge several others together.
High-ranking American in Vatican 'humbled' by appointment as nuncio
Feb 9, 2016 / 02:07 amOn Tuesday it was announced that Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Peter Bryan Wells, the highest ranking American in the Vatican Secretariat of State, as his new ambassador to South Africa and Botswana.
Padre Pio was a true 'servant of mercy,' Pope Francis says
Feb 6, 2016 / 04:57 amOn Saturday Pope Francis said that St. Padre Pio is a key example of someone who has given their entire life in the service of God’s mercy, but cautioned that there is only one reason he was able to do so: prayer.
Pope Francis announces second soccer 'Match for Peace'
Feb 5, 2016 / 06:02 amSitting alongside soccer stars such as Ronaldinho and Bryan Ruiz on Wednesday, Pope Francis announced that a second edition of his 2014 interreligious match for peace will take place in May.
'First in history' – Pope Francis to meet Russian Patriarch in Cuba
Feb 5, 2016 / 04:59 amOn Friday the Vatican announced that while on his way to Mexico, Pope Francis will stop in Cuba to meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in the first-ever meeting between a Pope and a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Pope Francis surprises jubilee pilgrims in visit to Vatican departments
Feb 4, 2016 / 17:29 pmOn Thursday the “Pope of Surprises” made an unscheduled stop at the welcoming center for pilgrims in Rome for the Jubilee of Mercy, before heading to three Vatican departments for a lengthy visit after.
Padre Pio's incorrupt body is in Rome – here's why
Feb 4, 2016 / 10:03 amThe partially incorrupt body of Padre Pio has arrived to Rome for the first time ever alongside that of another friar, St. Leopold Mandi?, as a special initiative for the Jubilee of Mercy.
Pope Francis: I want to help bring peace to Mexico
Feb 3, 2016 / 15:55 pmPope Francis will leave for Mexico in just over a week. In a new interview with a Mexican news agency, he told citizens of the crime-ridden country that while there, he hopes to be a messenger of peace, which must be fought for daily.
Do mercy and justice contradict each other? Pope Francis says no
Feb 3, 2016 / 04:02 amWhen God is described in the Bible as being both merciful and just it can seem like an identity crisis, however Pope Francis said it’s the opposite: rather than contradicting each other, the two actually go hand in hand.
Pope Francis: It's not us, but God who takes the first step
Jan 31, 2016 / 05:50 amOn Sunday Pope Francis said that it’s the weak and vulnerable who are most valuable in God’s eyes, and stressed that it’s always him who takes the initiative in meeting us where we are.
Pope Francis likely to visit Auschwitz during World Youth Day
Jan 29, 2016 / 10:45 amDuring his July visit to Poland for World Youth Day, it’s probable that Pope Francis will follow in the steps of his two immediate predecessors by traveling to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz, the Vatican spokesman has said.
Ask Mary's help if illness makes it hard to trust God's mercy, Pope Francis advises
Jan 28, 2016 / 10:32 amWhile the experience of illness can certainly test our faith, for Pope Francis it is an opportunity to entrust ourselves to the tenderness and mercy of Christ, which Mary, his mother, shows us how to do.