Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY—In an effort to find middle ground between liberal factions hoping to modernize the church and conservative forces seeking to preserve orthodoxy, Pope Francis issued a new decree Friday that will permanently change Roman Catholic doctrine by permitting all priests to marry him. “While we respect the vow of…

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Riek Machar (l) sees the creation of extra states as a way to give jobs to loyalists of President Salva Kiir Former South Sudanese rebel chief Riek Machar has said he is not satisfied by proposals made by the president aimed at paving the…

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond: Image copyright Reuters Image caption A girl holds her falcon during a desert competition for birds of prey on the outskirts of Egypt's capital, Cairo, on Friday. Image copyright EPA Image caption Spanish actress Victoria Abril, in…

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis refused Wednesday to approve the ordination of married men or women as deacons to address a shortage of priests in the Amazon, sidestepping a fraught issue that has divided the Catholic Church and emboldened his conservative c…

Pope Francis leads his general weekly audience at Nervi Hall on February 12 in Vatican City: Getty ImagesPope Francis has dismissed a proposal to allow married men to be ordained as priests in the Amazon region, marking one of the most significant decisions of his papacy.The proposal was put forward…

(VATICAN CITY) — Pope Francis refused Wednesday to approve the ordination of married men to address a shortage of priests in the Amazon, sidestepping a fraught issue that has dominated debate in the Catholic Church and even involved retired Pope Benedict XVI. Francis, in an eagerly awaited document, did not…

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in one of the most significant decisions of his papacy, on Wednesday dismissed a proposal to allow some married men to be ordained in the Amazon region to ease an acute scarcity of priests. The recommendation, put forw…

Image copyrightReutersImage caption The Pope urged bishops to encourage missionaries in the Amazon as a way of addressing a shortage of priests Pope Francis has ruled against ordaining married men in the Amazon region as a means of addressing the shortage …

By Alessandro Gisotti The beloved Amazon region stands before the world in all its splendour, its drama and its mystery. Thus begins the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonía. Significance of the Apostolic Exhortation In the first two points…

By Philip PullellaVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis will make the first trip by a pontiff in 10 years to the tiny Mediterranean island nation of Malta in May, where he is expected to defend the rights of migrants trying to reach Europe.The Vatican said on Monday the pope will…