Catholics

Parvum Opus: Followers Flock To Pope's Latin Twitter Feed

Sylvia Poggioli — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:12:00 +0000

Against all Vatican expectations, the pope's Twitter account in Latin has gained more than 100,000 followers in six months and continues to grow.

Followers are not exclusively Roman Catholics or Latin scholars, but represent a wide variety of professions and religions from all over the world. Some go so far as to claim that the language of the ancient Romans is perfectly suited to 21st-century social media.

Pope Benedict XVI launched the first papal Twitter account last December in eight languages, including Arabic.

A Loaded Bible Story, Tweaked For The Opera Stage

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:44:00 +0000

Composer Mark Adamo has made beautiful music out of classic books. His Little Women is among the most produced American operas today. He also wrote the words and music for his operatic adaptation of Aristophanes' Greek drama Lysistrata.

His latest work, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, has proved more controversial. The opera, which premieres June 19 at the San Francisco Opera, tells the story of Mary, Jesus and his disciples.

Adamo himself grew up a good Catholic in South Jersey in the mid-1970s.

Pope Francis Said To Reveal Existence Of 'Gay Lobby'

Eyder Peralta — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:29:00 +0000

In an audience with The Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious, Pope Francis is said to have revealed the existence of a gay lobby.

The organization of priests and nuns posted notes of their private meeting with the pope on its website.

"Truthfully, there are saintly people in the curia, but there is also a current of corruption, it's true," he said according to the Confederation. "There's talk of the 'gay lobby' and it's true it's there.

'I Didn't Want To Be Pope,' Francis Tells Group Of Children

Korva Coleman — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:18:00 +0000

Speaking to a huge group of children Friday at the Vatican, Pope Francis pushed aside a set of prepared remarks to talk directly to them and answer some of their questions.

One of his frank responses to a girl named Teresa was this: "Anyone who wants to be Pope doesn't care much for themselves, God doesn't bless them. I didn't want to be Pope," reports Reuters.

Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, is known for his intense focus on the poor and inequality.

Pope Francis Puts The Poor Front And Center

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:18:00 +0000

Over the past week, Pope Francis has launched a crescendo of attacks on the global financial system and what he calls a "cult of money" that does not help the poor.

The 2-month-old papacy of Francis — the Argentina-born Jorge Bergoglio — is shaping up as a papacy focused on the world's downtrodden.