Vatican

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  Pope Francis plans to create new cardinals in February

  Dec 12, 2014

  Pope Francis will hold a consistory for the creation of new cardinals Feb. 14-15, 2015, the Holy See press officer announced Thursday, adding that the consistory will follow meetings on the reform of the Roman Curia.

  
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  Manila declares five-day holiday for Pope’s upcoming visit

  Dec 11, 2014

  In an executive order, the mayor of Manila has declared a five-day, non-working holiday for Pope Francis’ Jan. 15-19 visit – a decision the Philippine government is considering on a national level.

  
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  Pope: Knowledge alone doesn't reveal God; humble prayer does

  Dec 11, 2014

  In his homily on Tuesday, Pope Francis said that no matter how much we study, we will never know anything about God unless we speak to him humbly like children.

  
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  Vatican clarifies: off-budget accounts were not corrupt

  Dec 11, 2014

  The “hundreds of millions of euros” in off-budget Vatican transactions discovered by the Secretariat for the Economy were not illicit expenses, the Vatican’s chief spokesman told reporters at a December 5 briefing.

  
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  The Church is about Christ – not an NGO, Pope tells Swiss bishops

  Dec 11, 2014

  In an address to the Swiss bishops on Monday, Pope Francis urged them maintain a lively faith, lest their country’s religious buildings become nothing more than dust-filled museums.

  
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  Muslims ‘deeply appreciate’ Pope’s visit to Turkey

  Dec 11, 2014

  Pope Francis' visit to Turkey was highly appreciated by Muslims because of the care and interest he demonstrated for them, and for his acknowledgement that not all Muslims are terrorists, a local scholar has said.

  
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  The poor must not be exploited for profit

  Dec 11, 2014

  “The poor must not be seen as a means to making a profit!” Pope Francis used this phrase to stress the importance of volunteer work and giving freely, during today’s audience with the Federation of Christian Organizations for International Volunteer Service (FOCSIV).

  
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  Pope's message for peace focuses on solidarity against the many forms of modern slavery

  Dec 11, 2014

  In his message for the 48th World Day of Peace, Francis warned against becoming accomplices in the many forms of modern slavery.

  
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  Pope calls victims to be 'prophetic voices' against nuclear war

  Dec 11, 2014

  In a message to an international gathering on the impact of nuclear weapons, Pope Francis called on victims to be “prophetic voices” against the potential for destruction of persons and the planet.

  
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  Former Vatican librarian, a friend of Pope Francis, dies at 91

  Dec 11, 2014

  Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia, a former prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library and a longtime friend of Pope Francis, died on Tuesday Dec. 9.