Articles by Elise Harris
Pope Francis accepts resignation of Bishop Robert W. Finn
Apr 21, 2015 / 03:47 amNearly two and a half years after being the first U.S. bishop convicted of a misdemeanor in failing to report suspected child abuse by a priest in his diocese, Kansas City-St. Joseph’s bishop has resigned.
Ankawa bomb attack strikes unease in refugees with nowhere else to go
Apr 18, 2015 / 13:05 pmA car bomb explosion in front of the American consulate in what is considered the safest city in Iraq has left many unnerved and anxious, praying that nothing else will penetrate the stronghold.
Will human trafficking make the list of sustainable development goals?
Apr 18, 2015 / 08:19 amA top ranking UK anti-slavery commissioner says that human trafficking is not just an issue to be talked about, but one the global community needs to commit with force to eradicating.
Is a 'springtime' of leadership blooming for women in the Vatican?
Apr 18, 2015 / 03:03 amWith more opportunities opening for women to take leadership roles in Vatican councils and congregations, women are filling the ranks of the Roman Curia on a historically unprecedented level.
Pope Francis to honor Junipero Serra at American seminary in Rome
Apr 16, 2015 / 21:10 pmSince Pope Francis won’t make it to California for the canonization of its great evangelizer, he will join a celebration at Rome’s American seminary to honor the soon-to-be saint and encourage devotion to him.
On 88th birthday, Benedict XVI lauded for emphasis on mercy
Apr 16, 2015 / 10:49 amThe Vatican official charged with organizing the upcoming Jubilee for Mercy says the topic was the “heart” of Benedict XVI’s pontificate, due to the emphasis he placed on love, which is lived out in mercy.
American Sisters accept Vatican reforms on doctrine, theology
Apr 16, 2015 / 03:15 amIn a joint report marking the conclusion of a multi-year mandate for reform, members of the LCWR have agreed to corrections called for by the Vatican, and said they will continue on the path of dialogue.
Vatican unveils a packed, diverse itinerary for Pope's Sarajevo visit
Apr 14, 2015 / 05:20 amPope Francis will meet with a vast array of different groups during his daytrip to Bosnia, which is a visit Sarajevo’s cardinal says could help ease political and ethnic tensions after the country’s recent war.
Pope recalls slaughter of Armenians in 'first genocide of the 20th century'
Apr 12, 2015 / 07:24 amPope Francis today referred to the mass killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks in 1915 as a “genocide,” prompting the Turkish government to summon the Vatican’s ambassador for questioning.
Touch and be healed by the merciful wounds of Christ, Pope says
Apr 12, 2015 / 04:10 amIn his homily on Divine Mercy Sunday Pope Francis said Jesus’ scars are full of mercy, and encouraged attendees to imitate the apostle Thomas in touching them and allowing their hearts to be converted.
Is there a light in the dark for Turkey's invisible Christians?
Apr 11, 2015 / 03:02 amDespite Turkey's claim of religious freedom, Christians there have faced ongoing hostility, including government oppression and murder – but a new legal status ignites hope that things will improve.
The Vatican considers – what does vocational formation look like in the modern age?
Apr 9, 2015 / 12:08 pmReligious formators gathered in Rome for a seminar on fashioning new vocations in contemporary society – a task the Vatican’s point man for consecrated life says is not easy, but still full of hope.
Bomb attack, ISIS invasion can't dampen faith of Iraqi seminarian
Apr 8, 2015 / 23:23 pmRoni Marzina Momica has seen it all: a victim of a 2010 bus attack and among those forced to leave his home when ISIS invaded last year, he says Iraq’s “shattered” Christians need help.
Pope Francis brings down hammer, says 'Don’t mess with children'
Apr 8, 2015 / 05:20 amPope Francis said Wednesday that children are never a mistake, and called adults out for building faulty systems that leave children exploited and abandoned, rather than treated as the blessings they are.
The 'surrender' of a Syrian girl gives face to the plight of refugee children
Apr 4, 2015 / 15:01 pmA photo that went viral last week depicting a young Syrian child “surrendering” in front of a camera she thought to be a gun is but a mere hint at the trauma which displaced and refugee children face across the Middle East, an aid worker says.
If you're looking for the truth, you'll find the Resurrection Pope says
Apr 4, 2015 / 11:57 amDuring his homily for the Easter Vigil Pope Francis said that the Resurrection of Jesus is a mystery we can only enter by going out of ourselves and looking for the truth.
Pope Francis to inmates: 'I too need to be washed by the Lord'
Apr 2, 2015 / 11:23 amPope Francis on Holy Thursday told inmates of a Rome prison that God’s love is personal and endless, emphasizing that he too needs forgiveness and purification.
Don't flirt with spiritual worldliness, Pope cautions priests
Apr 2, 2015 / 03:32 amDuring Holy Thursday’s Chrism Mass Pope Francis warned priests not to fall into a tiredness that leads to worldliness, and said that only resting in the Lord will enable them to continue when they feel worn out.
A sweet sign of hope: Pope's envoy returns to Iraq with Easter cake
Mar 29, 2015 / 05:32 amPope Francis' personal envoy to Iraq will return to the country during Holy Week, bringing with him the pontiff's love and solidarity along with a special gift from the diocese of Rome: cake.
Holy Week is about humility – there is no other way, Pope says
Mar 29, 2015 / 04:32 amPope Francis on Palm Sunday said that imitating the humility of Jesus is what makes Holy Week “holy,” and encouraged attendees to imitate Jesus on his path of humiliation as the week unfolds.