Cardinal close to Pope Francis tests positive for coronavirus

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ vicar for Rome has tested positive for the coronavirus in the first case of a cardinal close to the pope known to be infected.Cardinal Angelo De Donatis had been in touch with Francis in recent weeks — apparently not in person, however — over the cardinal’s initial decision to close all Rome churches in line with an Italian government shutdown decree.De Donatis reversed himself after Francis intervened, and allowed diocesan churches to remain open for individuals to pray.The pope is technically bishop of Rome, but he delegates the day-to-day running of the diocese to his vicar, De Donatis, 66.

Archbishop Listecki: Catholics are free of obligation to attend Sunday Mass for a couple weeks

MILWAUKEE -- The Archdiocese of Milwaukee announced on Thursday, March 12 that Archbishop Jerome Listecki has dispensed Catholics from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus.A news release says the dispensation will cover the next two weeks, including Masses for Sundays March 15, 22, and 29.

Pope Francis equates violence against women to profaning God

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is pinning much of his hopes for a more peaceful world in the new year on women, saying violence against them is akin to profaning God and calling for them to be increasingly involved in making major decisions.In his homily Wednesday in St.

Pope Francis offers hope against darkness in Christmas Day message

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis offered a Christmas message of hope Wednesday against darkness that cloaks conflicts and relationships in large parts of the world from the Middle East to the Americas to Africa.The pope told tens of thousands of tourists, pilgrims and Romans gathered in St.

Pope's Amazon synod proposes married priests, female leaders

VATICAN CITY — Catholic bishops from across the Amazon called Saturday for the ordination of married men as priests to address the clergy shortage in the region, an historic proposal that would upend centuries of Roman Catholic tradition.The majority of 180 bishops from nine Amazonian countries also called for the Vatican to reopen a debate on ordaining women as deacons, saying "it is urgent for the church in the Amazon to promote and confer ministries for men and women in an equitable manner."The proposals were contained in a final document approved Saturday at the end of a three-week synod on the Amazon, which Pope Francis called in 2017 to focus attention on saving the rainforest and better ministering to its indigenous people.The Catholic Church, which contains nearly two dozen different rites, already allows married priests in Eastern Rite churches and in cases where married Anglican priests have converted.

Pope canonizes John Henry Newman, 19th-century theologian

VATICAN CITY — With Prince Charles looking on, Pope Francis on Sunday canonized Cardinal John Henry Newman, praising the 19th-century Anglican convert who became an influential, unifying figure in both the Anglican and Catholic churches.Francis quoted from one of Newman's most famous hymns, "Lead, Kindly Lights," as he presided over Mass on Sunday before an estimated 50,000 people in a sun-drenched St.