A first papal visit was a fresh sign of international recognition for the country, which recently settled a long and bitter naming dispute with Greece.
Tag: Roman Catholic Church
Bulgaria Offers Chilly Welcome as Pope Francis Tries to Mend a Schism
A Bulgarian Orthodox prelate likened efforts to unify the churches to welcoming the Antichrist, while some Bulgarians shrugged off the pope’s pleas on behalf of migrants.
Pope Francis Urges Bulgaria to Open Its Heart to Refugees
On his first visit to the Balkan nation, the pope also spoke of mending ties to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, but he got a cool reception.
Global Health: Religious Objections to the Measles Vaccine? Get the Shots, Faith Leaders Say
Devout parents who are worried about vaccines often object to ingredients from pigs or fetuses. But the leaders of major faiths have examined these fears and still vigorously endorse vaccination.
A Guide to Our Notre-Dame Fire Coverage
A look at a blaze that ravaged a symbol of Paris, prompted calls for people to unite in restoring it and spurred inquiries into how such a catastrophe could have been prevented.
Dueling Popes? Maybe. Dueling Views in a Divided Church? Definitely.
Since Benedict, who resigned in 2013, published a letter on the church’s sex abuse crisis, the Vatican has been rife with talk of a rival power center to Francis.
Ireland’s Church Homes Gave Children’s Bodies to Medical Schools for Dissection
A government inquiry showed that the scandal around the church-run homes for single mothers, where few records were kept on thousands of children who died, is greater than previously known.
With Letter on Sexual Abuse, Pope Benedict Returns to Public Eye
The former pontiff blames the sexual revolution, liberal theology and an absence of God for the crisis with which his successor, Pope Francis, has struggled.
South Korea Rules Anti-Abortion Law Unconstitutional
South Korea’s Constitutional Court called for an amendment to a law banning abortion that was rarely enforced. Parliament has until the end of 2020 to revise the law.
Restoration of Holy Stairs Lets Visitors to Rome Follow in Pilgrims’ Knees
Jesus was said to have climbed the steps to meet with Pontius Pilate. A wood casing has been temporarily removed, revealing centuries-old grooves worn by the faithful.