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 Cardinal Timothy Dolan in Rome before the conclave in Rome that elected Pope Francis.
July 31st, 2013
05:53 PM ET
Bishop: Pope was 'on a high' during gay remarksBy Daniel Burke, CNN (CNN) - The nation's leading Roman Catholic archbishop said Wednesday that Pope Francis was "on a high" from his first international trip as pontiff when he said "Who am I to judge?" gays and lesbians. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, who traveled last week to Brazil with the pope for World Youth Day, said the massive turnout - estimates ran as high as 3 million - and ecstatic crowds likely gave Francis hope that he would "revive the church on his home continent of Latin America." Francis was the archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina from 1998 until his papal election in March.
July 29th, 2013
06:22 PM ET
How Pope Francis is revolutionizing the churchOpinion by the Rev. James Martin, special to CNN (CNN) - At times last week, I was dumbstruck and even in tears as I followed the coverage of Pope Francis' visit to Brazil for World Youth Day. Few things have filled me with more hope about my church than the pope's past few days. For what Francis did in Rio de Janeiro, and continues to do, represents some very positive change. Monday’s surprising interview aboard his plane back to Rome, during which, in response to a question about gays and gay priests, he said, in part, “Who am I to judge?” likewise shows an openness that borders on revolutionary.
July 28th, 2013
08:56 AM ET
What we learned about Pope Francis in BrazilBy John L. Allen Jr., CNN Rio de Janeiro (CNN) - We didn’t need Pope Francis’ trip to Brazil this week to grasp that the new pontiff, who’s set a tone of simplicity and love for ordinary people, is a hit. Polls around the world show approval ratings that would be the envy of any politician or celebrity, while vast crowds show up in Rome for even his most routine activities. What Brazil confirmed, perhaps, is that his act plays as well on the road as at home. During his week in Brazil for World Youth Day, an international Catholic event, mob scenes erupted everywhere Francis went, despite cold temperatures and driving rain for much of the week.  Pope Francis speaks to the crowd from a balcony of the San Joaquin Episcopal Palace on July 26, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
July 25th, 2013
07:50 PM ET
Pope Francis tells youth that faith cures discontentBy Helena Cavendish de Moura, for CNN RIO DE JANEIRO (CNN) - With a blasting medley of bossa nova music as a prelude, Pope Francis addressed about a million worshippers in Copacabana beach on Thursday, lacing his message to a new generation of Catholics with Brazilian street jargon. "Bota Fe" - put on faith - was the antidote to what he called growing materialism and discontent, the pontiff said. "What can we do? Bota Fe," he said. "If we want to have real meaning and fulfillment, as you want and you deserve ... put on faith." The thread of the pontiff's speech resonated with Brazil's youth, many of whom are expressing disenchantment with their government.
July 23rd, 2013
12:47 PM ET
A nightmare day for the pope's security detailBy Eric Marrapodi and Miguel Marquez, CNN Copacabana Beach, Brazil (CNN) - Don't blame the pope's Swiss Guards if they had nightmares Monday night. There was plenty to disturb their sleep: a mobbed motorcade, a bomb scare and protesters clashing with police. When Pope Francis arrived here Monday for World Youth Day, a weeklong Catholic event held every few years, the massive security effort was temporarily undermined by a traffic jam. As the papal motorcade was driving from the airport to the presidential palace, federal officials steered the motorcade into the busiest of several potential routes. As the motorcade slowed, papal admirers swarmed the silver Fiat hatchback carrying Pope Francis, reaching into his open window to touch the pontiff. A Vatican spokesman said the pope wasn't afraid - but his secretary was.
July 22nd, 2013
04:09 PM ET
Explosive found near site pope plans to visitBy John L. Allen Jr., CNN, and CNN Staff Rio de Janeiro (CNN) - A small explosive device was found Sunday near a religious shrine in Brazil that Pope Francis is scheduled to visit later this week, Sao Paulo military police announced just few hours after the pope arrived on Monday. The homemade device was found July 21, during police training in Aparecida, the site of a massive shrine to the Virgin Mary, Brazilian police said. It was constructed out of a small, plastic cylinder and duct tape. A special tactical group detonated the explosive without causing any injuries, according to the police.  Pope Francis boards the plane on July 22 for Brazil -- with a single carry-on bag.
July 22nd, 2013
10:47 AM ET
Pope Francis embarks on historic trip to Brazil, where protesters awaitBy Eric Marrapodi and Miguel Marquez, CNN Rio de Janeiro (CNN) – For the first time in the history of the Catholic Church, a Latin-American pope will touch down on his own continent on Monday. Pope Francis, the 76-year-old Argentine, begins his first apostolic visit Monday in Brazil, home to the world’s largest Catholic population. The pope will be participating in World Youth Day, a weeklong celebration aimed at revitalizing young Catholics, and the church, here and around the world. Organizers said 400,000 pilgrims from around the world had registered, though the crowds are expected to be much larger as people try to catch a glimpse of the pontiff known as the “people’s pope.” Many of the events with the pope will be open to the public and not just the pilgrims.
July 17th, 2013
07:45 PM ET
Sorry, retweeting the pope won't get you out of hellOpinion by the Rev. James Martin, SJ, special to CNN (CNN) –Here were the tantalizingly weird headlines: “Follow pope online, get to heaven sooner - Facebook likes don't count.” “Cut your time in purgatory by following pope on Twitter.” And, worst of all, from Slate: “Pope now offering indulgences in exchange for Twitter followers.” Similar headlines popped up on more than 190 news sources on Wednesday. Ha ha. Is the Catholic Church offering time off in hell– or purgatory, depending on the website - just for checking your Twitter feed every few hours? Is the church really that dumb? And here I thought Pope Francis was cool, or as Esquire recently termed him, “awesome.” This is (another) case of how the media misunderstands and misreports a story from “The Vatican.” |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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