Josephine McKenna

• Pope Francis Joins Other Faith Leaders to Demand an End to Human Trafficking Wednesday, December 3, 2014
  Pope Francis and religious leaders from Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other faiths came together at the Vatican on Tuesday (Dec. 2) to call for an end to slavery by 2020.
• Sexual Revolution is Destroying Families, Russell Moore Tells Vatican Conference Wednesday, November 19, 2014
  Prominent U.S. evangelicals Russell Moore and Rick Warren blasted the sexual revolution at a Vatican conference Tuesday (Nov. 18) and said it is destroying the institution of marriage.
• Pope Francis: The Devil is Real and Don’t Underestimate Him Friday, October 31, 2014
  As millions of revelers around the world dress in ghoulish costumes to mark Halloween and the darker side of life, Pope Francis warned that the devil is no myth and must be fought strenuously with...
• Pope Francis Thanks Exorcists for Showing ‘Love’ to the Possessed Wednesday, October 29, 2014
  Just in time for Halloween and against an unspecified “steady increase” of demonic possession, Pope Francis thanked exorcists for showing the church’s “love for those possessed” by the devil.
• Pope Francis: ‘Evolution...Is Not Inconsistent with the Notion of Creation’ Tuesday, October 28, 2014
  Pope Francis on Monday (Oct. 27) waded into the controversial debate over the origins of human life, saying the big bang theory did not contradict the role of a divine creator, but even required...
• Bishops’ Debate over Gays: Lost in Translation? Friday, October 17, 2014
  The tug-of-war at the Vatican over calls for the Catholic Church to be more open to gays and cohabiting couples intensified Thursday.
• Catholic Church Must Welcome ‘Unconventional Couples,’ Says Top Italian Bishop Friday, August 29, 2014
  The Catholic Church should make “unconventional couples” feel at home, the leader of the Italian Bishops Conference and an ally of Pope Francis said this week.
• Pope to Iraqi President: ‘I Appeal to You with My Heart Full of Pain’ Friday, August 22, 2014
  Pope Francis wrote to the president of Iraq, calling for an end to the “brutal suffering of Christians and other religious minorities” and urging political leaders to end the humanitarian crisis in...
• China to Pope Francis: Don’t ‘Interfere’ with Religion Thursday, August 21, 2014
  China has reacted cautiously to a bid by Pope Francis to open new dialogue with Beijing, with some officials quick to warn the Vatican not to “interfere” with the country’s religion.
• 5 Things to Know about Pope Francis’ Visit to South Korea Thursday, August 14, 2014
  When Pope Francis’ plane touches down in Seoul on Thursday (Aug. 14), it will mark his third trip abroad, after visits to Brazil and the Middle East.
• On Iraq, Pope Francis’ Message of Peace Meets Reality of War Tuesday, August 12, 2014
  As he dispatches a top aide to war-torn Iraq this week, Pope Francis made his most impassioned plea yet for the world to halt the “slaughter” of Christians and other religious minorities by Islamic...
• Pope Sends Envoy to Iraq to Deliver Message of Support and Aid Embattled Christians Monday, August 11, 2014
  Pope Francis is dispatching Cardinal Fernando Filoni as his personal envoy to northern Iraq, where Islamist militias have sent thousands of Christians and other religious minorities fleeing for...
• Vatican: Abandoned Down Syndrome Baby is Victim of ‘Throwaway’ Culture Thursday, August 7, 2014
  The Vatican warned Wednesday (Aug. 6) that the alleged rejection of a baby born with Down syndrome to a surrogate mother in Thailand shows how babies have become consumer products for sale.
• Meriam Ibrahim, Freed from Sudan, Plans to Settle in New Hampshire Monday, July 28, 2014
  Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian who was flown to Rome after her death sentence was overturned, is now dreaming of building a future in the U.S.
• Vatican Editor Says England’s Female Bishops Vote ‘Complicates’ Relations Wednesday, July 16, 2014
  The Church of England’s vote to allow female bishops threatens unity with the Catholic Church, according to the editor of the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
• Pope Francis: End the ‘Racist and Xenophobic’ Approach to Migrants along U.S.-Mexico Border Wednesday, July 16, 2014
  Pope Francis waded into the controversy of the unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, pushing the U.S. to offer greater protection for young children entering the country...
• Vatican’s UN Envoy Says Bishop’s Defrocking Shows Church Takes Abuse Seriously Thursday, July 3, 2014
  The defrocking of a former Vatican ambassador is a “sign of the seriousness” with which Pope Francis and the Vatican are approaching the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
• Italian Archbishop Calls for 10-year Ban on Godparents to Stop Mafia Infiltration Thursday, July 3, 2014
  An archbishop in southern Italy has proposed a 10-year ban on naming godparents at baptisms and confirmations as a way to stop the Mafia from spreading its influence.