Update: Pope Francis sacks all but one of the cardinals who run the Vatican bank, less than a year after Pope Benedict XVI appointed them (thetablet.co.uk)
Pope Francis makes move to weaken the ultraconservative arm of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops by removing two Americans, including Raymond Burke, known for denying communion to abortion rights politicians. (jsonline.com)
For more, read the recent New Yorker article.
Pope Francis says Catholic Church too “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception. (nytimes.com)
Pope Francis secretly sneaks out at night to help the homeless, source says (huffingtonpost.com)
Spot the differences?
Pope Francis has denounced the global financial system, blasting the “cult of money” that he says is tyrannizing the poor and turning humans into expendable consumer goods: “Money has to serve, not to rule!” (timesofmalta.com)
Pope Francis says atheists can be good “Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis has said in his latest urging that people of all religions, and none, work together.” (guardian.co.uk)
Pope sends Archbishop and Swiss guards onto the streets of Rome at night to comfort the poor and the homeless.(washingtonpost.com)
Pope Francis urged Catholic priests to devote themselves to helping the poor and suffering instead of worrying about their careers as Church ‘managers’ (reuters.com)
“If Sarah Palin’s this shocked by Pope Francis, she’ll be catatonic when she finally gets round to reading about Jesus in the New Testament.” (independent.co.uk)
Pope Francis makes move to weaken the ultraconservative arm of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops by removing two Americans, including Raymond Burke, known for denying communion to abortion rights politicians. (jsonline.com)
Pope Francis: “It hurts my heart when I see a priest or a nun with the latest model of car” (news.yahoo.com)
Muslim leader says pope is model of what religious leader should be (ncronline.org)
“God’s mercy has no limits” Pope Francis tells atheists to abide by their own consciences (theguardian.com)
Pope asks if Syrian Intervention is happening to sell weapons. (ansa.it)
Pope claims that “St. Peter had no bank account” and that the church has fallen into the temptation of wealth (upi.com)
Church must help the poorest, not dissect theology, Pope says (uk.reuters.com)
Pope Francis says that financial speculation and corruption were keeping millions of people in hunger and the financial crisis could not be used as an alibi for failing to help the poor (news.yahoo.com)
Sen. Bernie Sanders: “At a time when the gap between rich and everyone else is growing wider, at a time when Wall Street and large financial institutions are exerting extraordinary power over the American and world economy, I applaud the pope for speaking out on these enormously important issues” (burlingtonfreepress.com)
Pope Francis scolds rich in visit to muddy Brazilian slum: “Everybody, according to his or her particular opportunities and responsibilities, should be able to make a personal contribution to putting an end to so many social injustices” (reuters.com)
Pope proclaims all redeemed, even atheists. “The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!” (en.radiovaticana.va)
Pope Francis blesses ‘Jesus the Homeless’ sculpture that was rejected by Cathedrals in the US and Canada, calling ‘Jesus the Homeless’ a “Beautiful Piece of Art” (catholicnews.com)
Pope Francis says the Amazon rainforest should be treated like a garden. (abcnews.go.com)
Pope tells priests to buy humble cars: “If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world.” (reuters.com)
Pope cancels salaries of cardinals overseeing bank (news.oneindia.in)
Pope removes Germany’s ‘luxury bishop’ from diocese after he spent $44M on renovating residence (cbc.ca)
Pope attacks tyranny of markets, urges renewal in key document: Pope Francis called for renewal of the Roman Catholic Church and attacked unfettered capitalism as “a new tyranny”, urging global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality in the first major work he has authored alone as pontiff. (reuters.com)
Pope attacks mega-salaries and wealth gap in peace message – CNBC (cnbc.com)
Pope Francis condemns the use of chemical weapons and asks for peace on Syria: “War, never again. Violence never leads to peace, war leads to war, violence leads to violence.” (reuters.com)
Pope: I am not a Marxist but, “I don’t feel offended” being called one. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
Pope Francis says he won’t judge priests on their sexual orientation (hosted.ap.org)
Pope Francis says the church should be “home for all” and not a “small chapel” focused on doctrine, orthodoxy and a limited agenda of moral teachings. (nytimes.com)
An international poll released Tuesday found that 88% of American Catholics approve of how Pope Francis is handling his role as head of the 1.2 billion-member church (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
Pope shares his birthday breakfast with homeless: Four homeless people, one of them bringing his dog, helped Pope Francis celebrate his 77th birthday at the Vatican Tuesday. They live on the street in the Rome neighborhood just outside the Holy See’s walls (washingtonpost.com)
Pope Francis to Auction his Harley Davidson Motorcycle to Benefit Homeless (ncregister.com)
Pope washes feet of young Muslim woman prisoner in unprecedented twist on Maundy Thursday (telegraph.co.uk)
Pope Francis meets Atheist Uruguayan president Jose Mujica: “I think that if they let him, he’s going to make a revolution inside the Church, towards simplicity. He’s just like talking to a good neighbour you’ve known for years” (en.mercopress.com)
Pope Francis: ‘I would like to see a church that is poor and is for the poor’ (guardian.co.uk)
The Pope Says The World Worships A “God Called Money” (businessinsider.com)
Yes, that’s a photo of the pope carrying his own bag “by carrying his own bag, Francis is seeking to demonstrate humility and a closer connection to regular Catholics, as well as signaling to other Vatican officials that they could stand to behave a bit less like royalty and more like priests” (washingtonpost.com)
Pope Francis takes aim at ideologically obsessed Christians, even going as far as saying they have an illness [VIDEO].(youtube.com)
Pope Francis: ‘I believe in God, not in a Catholic God’ (deseretnews.com)
Pope Francis’ Angelus address: “We should forgive and show mercy. If we live according to the rule an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. We will never overcome the spiral of evil.” (en.radiovaticana.va)
Pope Francis is TIME’s Person of the Year for 2013 (poy.time.com)
Pope Francis redirects employee bonuses to charity. “Vatican employees won’t receive the special bonus they are traditionally awarded when a new pope is elected, the Vatican confirmed on Thursday (April 18), under orders from Pope Francis to give extra money to charity instead.” (washingtonpost.com)
Pope Francis becomes the first pope to ever wash a woman’s feet, breaking centuries of Catholic tradition. (bigstory.ap.org)
Pope sets up body on child abuse: Pope Francis sets up a Vatican committee to fight Catholic Church child abuse (bbc.co.uk)
…and so many more. Thank you, Pope Francis. The world needs some hope, some love, some compassion, and some leadership.
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