pope francis Pope Francis appeals for religious freedom for Chinese Catholics. Pope Francis called for religious freedom for Catholics in China, a religious minority that has historically experienced harassment and persecution in the communist country, sparking tensions between the Vatican and Beijing. During his weekly audience, Francis asked for prayers that the Gospel "be preached in all its fullness, beauty, and
pope francis Pope Francis has designated 21 Coptic victims who were beheaded by the Islamic State as martyrs. Pope Francis has designated 21 Coptic victims who were beheaded by the Islamic State as martyrs. Pope Francis declared the Vatican's recognition of the 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians who were beheaded by the Islamic State in Libya in 2015 as martyrs. During a meeting with Pope Tawadros II of the
pope francis Prisoners in Portugal construct confessionals in advance of Pope Francis's visit. Tiago Espanhol, a fraudster, has been incarcerated for just over two years as of April 17 (Reuters). He still has two and a half years before being released, but he claims that the construction of confessionals for Pope Francis' summer visit to Portugal is shortening that period of time. "We
pope francis After recovering from illness, Pope Francis conducts the Palm Sunday service. The day after being released from the hospital after suffering from bronchitis, Pope Francis presided over a Palm Sunday service and urged people to better care for the underprivileged, the lonely, and the sick. Before Francis descended and began the service from beneath an ancient Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter's
