By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — No one deserves faith and no one can buy it; faith is a gift that changes one’s life and allows people to recognize Jesus as the son of God with the power to forgive sins, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass. …

IMAGE: CNS/EPA By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Italian comedian talking about a new Pope Francis book was not joking when he said being a minister of God’s mercy can have social and political implications. The corporal works of mercy of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked …

IMAGE: Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — History and geography have combined to make Catholic-Jewish relations in Rome unique, both negatively and positively — a fact highlighted by modern papal visits to the city’s main synagogue just two miles from the Vatican. Pope Francis was scheduled to visit …

By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Don’t fall for hate and fearmongering from others; make new friends instead and always help and show concern for others, Pope Francis told the world’s teens. “Be brave and go against the tide, be friends of Jesus, who is the prince of peace,” …

By EL PASO, Texas (CNS) — The Diocese of El Paso has scrapped plans for a border Mass that would have taken place at the same time as the closing Mass of Pope Francis’ visit to Mexico in February. However, the Feb. 17 papal Mass at the fairgrounds in Ciudad …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God’s mercy is constant and limitless; he is faithful in his mercy for his children, even when they are unfaithful, Pope Francis said. The greatness and power of God unfolds in his “love for us, who are so small, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Dale Gavlak By Dale Gavlak AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) — With crises in Syria and Iraq deepening, Catholic bishops on a solidarity visit with the “forgotten” Christians of the Middle East are urging stepped-up peace efforts to resolve conflicts tearing apart the troubled region. Highlighting the ongoing plight of …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Warner Bros. By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Movies depicting exorcisms could be an important medium for showing how God always triumphs over evil, but instead, they misrepresent the faith and exaggerate human and satanic powers over God, a leading exorcist wrote in the Vatican newspaper. Television …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Arms flailing, the exuberant and perhaps hyperactive Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni described Pope Francis as a masterful minister of God’s mercy, which is always active and always on the move. Benigni brought the house down Jan. 12 during …

IMAGE: Nancy Wiechec By Nancy Wiechec TUMACACORI, Ariz. (CNS) — Jesuit Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, an Italian missionary to the American Southwest known as the “Padre on Horseback,” was honored Jan. 10 at the Tumacacori National Historical Park with Kino Legacy Day. The celebration of the priest — who founded …