St. Francis of Assisi
Animal chaplains offer spiritual care for every species
By Kathryn Post — March 8, 2024
(RNS) — 'This is beyond animal blessings and pet funerals,' said animal chaplain Sarah Bowen.
The Vatican’s top expert on AI ethics is a friar from a medieval Franciscan order
By Frances D'emilio — January 18, 2024
ROME (AP) — Benanti is the Vatican's go-to person on the technology and he has the ear of Pope Francis as well as some of Silicon Valley's top engineers and executives.
Vatican to unveil Nativity scene celebrating the 800th anniversary of the crèche
By Claire Giangravé — December 5, 2023
(RNS) — The first crèche was created by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223.
Birds, worms, rabbits: Francis of Assisi was said to have loved them all – but today’s pet blessings on his feast day might have seemed strange to the 13th century saint
By Mary Dzon — October 3, 2023
(The Conversation) — Medieval monastics were often discouraged from owning companion animals, which were viewed as a distraction, a religion scholar explains.
Pope says a revised environmental encyclical will be released Oct. 4, feast of St. Francis of Assisi
By Nicole Winfield — August 30, 2023
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Francis recently revealed he was writing a “second part” to the document “to address current problems.”
Pope unveils Vatican Christmas tree, urging Christians to ‘stay rooted’ in Jesus
By Claire Giangravé — December 5, 2022
(RNS) — With its humility, the nativity scene is a reminder to step away from a 'consumeristic and commercial' Christmas, the pope said.
In hometown of St. Francis of Assisi, pope touts ‘radical criticism’ of capitalism
By Claire Giangravé — September 26, 2022
(RNS) — The pope gathered with under-35 adults at the Economy of Francesco meeting to promote a new vision for the 'mainstream economy.'
Pope Francis called pet owners selfish. An animal chaplain says he sells love short.
By Claire Giangravé — February 2, 2022
(RNS) — According to animal chaplain Sarah Bowen, animals have much to teach humans when it comes to spirituality.
Pope offers hope to poor in visit to namesake’s Assisi home
By Nicole Winfield and Alessandra Tarantino — November 12, 2021
In one of his first outings in Italy since the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis took his time greeting some of the 500 people brought by Catholic charity groups to Assisi to join Francis in marking the Catholic Church's world day of the poor.
Mark Galli, former Christianity Today editor and Trump critic, to be confirmed a Catholic
By Yonat Shimron — September 10, 2020
(RNS) — Galli, who bucked prevailing evangelical sentiments when he penned an editorial in December denouncing the president, says his faith decision has nothing to do with politics.
Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ v. the Green New Deal
By Charles C. Camosy — April 26, 2019
(RNS) — Legislation can't force an unwilling public to make the dramatic adjustments needed to save the planet. Instead, we should heed the pope's call for a fundamental change of life, like that of the saint he is named after.
Pope Francis on the Beatitudes
By Thomas Reese — May 17, 2018
(RNS) — In his recent 'Gaudete et Exsultate,' Pope Francis teaches that living the Beatitudes means 'going against the flow' in a world that pushes us in the opposite direction from holiness.
Pope Francis makes surprise visit to quake zone
By Josephine McKenna — October 4, 2016
ROME (RNS) 'From the first moment, I felt that I needed to come to you! Simply to express my closeness to you, nothing more,' the pontiff told survivors in an emotional meeting in the devastated town of Amatrice.
In Assisi, Pope Francis lunches with world refugees
By Josephine McKenna — September 20, 2016
ROME (RNS) On World Day of Prayer for Peace, Francis lunched with refugees from Syria, Eritrea, Mali and Nigeria, including a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old.
Pope Francis of Assisi? A pontiff boosts the birthplace of a saint
By Josephine McKenna — September 15, 2016
ASSISI, Italy (RNS) When the pontiff visits this Umbrian hilltown next week it will mark the third time in less than four years -- and locals couldn't be happier.
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