Pope, in Portugal to rally young Catholics, says church needs purification
Lisbon, PortugalReuters Pope Francis on Wednesday said the Catholic Church needs a “humble and ongoing purification” to deal with the “anguished cries” of victims of clerical sexual abuse, who he met privately on the first day of his visit to Portugal. Francis was speaking in Lisbon at the start of a five-day visit to the […]
Pope, arriving in Portugal, promises to “stir things up”
Updated: 9:30pm (AEST)Lisbon, PortugalReuters Pope Francis promised on Wednesday to continue to “stir things up” in the Catholic Church as he moves on with reforms and changes that could leave a lasting legacy. Francis, starting a five-day trip to Portugal, landed at Lisbon’s military air base for a global gathering of young Catholics known as […]
Pope Francis will be in Portugal for five days. Here’s what he will visit
Lisbon, Portugal AP Pope Francis begins a five-day trip to Portugal on Wednesday for World Youth Day, the international Catholic jamboree that is expected to gather around one million people. While in Portugal, Francis will visit the place from where 15th- and 16th-century Portuguese explorers set sail on world-changing voyages to Africa, Asia and South America, a church and […]
“Consolidation phase”: As the Pope heads to Portugal, he’s laying the groundwork for the church’s future and his own legacy
NICOLE WINFIELD, of Associated Press, says the 86-year-old Pope is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit…
Victims hope Pope’s Portugal visit to shine spotlight on clerical abuse
Lisbon, PortugalReuters Filipa Almeida was 17 when she was sexually abused by a priest. She stayed silent for years but eventually found the strength to speak out and hopes a visit by Pope Francis to her native Portugal this week will remind the world of thousands of similar crimes. “I lived with this secret for […]
Youth Catholics gather in Lisbon, awaiting Pope
Lisbon, Portugal Reuters Waving their countries’ flags and singing, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world flocked to one of Lisbon’s main parks on Tuesday to mark the start of the world’s largest gathering of young Catholics. “It’s very emotional,” said Brazilian pilgrim Vitor Goncalves, 25, as the event’s opening Mass was […]
Pope to Portugal for bittersweet ‘Catholic Woodstock’ of the young
Lisbon, PortugalReuters Hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world have descended on Portugal to welcome Pope Francis when he arrives on Wednesday to close a jamboree dubbed “the Catholic Woodstock”. However, the shadow of the church’s sexual abuse scandal will haunt the background as a reminder of how much work it still […]
A rebounding Pope Francis adds an overnight visit to France to his busy travel schedule
Rome, ItalyAP Pope Francis will make a two-day trip to Marseille, France, in late September, adding to a flurry of trips the 86-year-old pontiff will soon be making only weeks after leaving hospital following abdominal surgery. Early this year, Francis had said that he would go to the port city to participate in a meeting of […]
A taste of cookie heaven? Lisbon pastry shop marks Pope’s visit
Lisbon, PortugalReuters As Lisbon gears up for a long visit by Pope Francis next week, a local pastry shop has rolled out a brand-new treat to mark the occasion: a cookie with the pontiff’s picture on it that is already selling fast. The idea began as an in-house joke between one of the owners of […]
Lisbon city council accused of “sweeping homeless under rug” ahead of Pope’s visit
Lisbon, PortugalReuters With tears running down her face, 48-year-old Rita Moreira sat next to the tiny tent where she has lived for over a month in one of Lisbon’s main arteries and from where she is being forced to move. Rita Moreira, a 49 years old homeless resident, talks to journalists in downtown Lisbon, Portugal, […]