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• Focus on mission, stay true to the cross, pope tells cardinals
• Vatican criticizes campaign against pope
• Vatican: anti-clerical campaign against pope
• Correction: Pope-Latin America story
• Quebec cardinal nearly became pope, Italian media reports say
• US clergy victims make demands of new pope
• How European Catholics see Pope Francis
• Pope Francis reaches out to Jews
• Pope Francis Can't Escape Argentina's Dark Past
• Argentines celebrate Francis as their 'slum pope'
• Division among cardinals paved way for selection of Pope Francis
• More religious leaders join battle against Manitoba anti-bully bill
• Pope Francis trinkets sell briskly near Vatican
• Argentine gays remember new pope's 'war' against gay marriage when he was cardinal
• Pope visits ailing Argentine cardinal in hospital
• Can Pope Francis' focus on poor attract 'indifferent Catholics' back to church?
• European Muslims see dialogue hope in pope name
• On trial for sexual assault, Catholic priest surprises jury with tale of his secret marriage
• Pope urges leaders of crisis-hit Church not to be discouraged
• Charlotte Church is back with new material, tour
• Pope's former neighbor recalls his 'love' letter
• UK's Cameron disagrees with pope over Falklands
• Will Jesuit identity help Pope Francis repair 'fractured church'?
• Britain's Cameron says pope is wrong on the Falklands
• Don't come to Rome, give money to poor, pope tells Argentines
• Vatican denies Pope stayed silent during dictatorship
• Priest kidnapped by junta: Reconciled with pope
• Pope Francis feted in Italian ancestral village
• Pope pays tribute to Benedict in cardinal meeting, says he "enriched and invigorated" church
• Jesuit priest kidnapped in Argentina while under Bergoglio says he's reconciled with new pope

Focus on mission, stay true to the cross, pope tells cardinals Posted: 15 Mar 2013 04:57 PM PDT By Philip Pullella and Catherine Hornby VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday urged leaders of a Roman Catholic Church riven by scandal and crisis never to give in to discouragement, bitterness or pessimism but to keep focused on their mission. Since his election on Wednesday as the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis has signaled a sharp change of style from his predecessor, Benedict, and has laid out a clear moral path for the 1.2-billion-member Church, which is beset by scandals, intrigue and strife. ...

Vatican criticizes campaign against pope Posted: 15 Mar 2013 04:43 PM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — The honeymoon that Pope Francis has enjoyed since his remarkable election hit a bump Friday, with the Vatican lashing out at what it called a defamatory and "anti-clerical left-wing" media campaign questioning his actions during Argentina's murderous military dictatorship.

Vatican: anti-clerical campaign against pope Posted: 15 Mar 2013 03:57 PM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — The honeymoon that Pope Francis has enjoyed since his remarkable election hit a bump Friday, with the Vatican lashing out at what it called a defamatory and "anti-clerical left-wing" media campaign questioning his actions during Argentina's murderous military dictatorship.

Correction: Pope-Latin America story Posted: 15 Mar 2013 02:58 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — In a story March 14 about the significance the election of Pope Francis to Latin America, The Associated Press misidentified the president of El Salvador. His name is Mauricio Funes.

Quebec cardinal nearly became pope, Italian media reports say Posted: 15 Mar 2013 02:13 PM PDT VATICAN CITY - Italian media reports say Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who was considered a front-runner for the papacy, nearly became pope.

US clergy victims make demands of new pope Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:47 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — Most Roman Catholics are rejoicing at the election of Pope Francis, but alleged victims of clergy abuse in the U.S. are demanding swift and bold actions from the new Jesuit pontiff: Defrock all molester priests and the cardinals who covered up for them, formally apologize, and release all confidential church files.

How European Catholics see Pope Francis Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:41 PM PDT Catholics across the world are celebrating the inauguration of a new pope and Europe is no exception. But many are wondering what kind of leader Pope Francis will be.

Pope Francis reaches out to Jews Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:28 PM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — Like his predecessor, Pope Francis reached out to Rome's Jewish community at the very start of his pontificate, pledging to continue to strengthen the increasingly close ties between Catholics and Jews.

Pope Francis Can't Escape Argentina's Dark Past Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:23 PM PDT The world is still learning much about the life and history of Pope Francis, and now the Vatican finds itself having to directly confront the most troubling story from his early life in Argentina. On Friday, the Catholic Church was forced to deny charges that then-Cardinal Bergoglio was complicit in the state-sponsored terrorism during Argentina's "Dirty War" of the 1970s and early 1980s. The Vatican spokesperson said "There has never been a credible, concrete accusation against him," and the charges "reveal anti-clerical left-wing elements that are used to attack the ...

Argentines celebrate Francis as their 'slum pope' Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:06 PM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — For more than a billion Roman Catholics worldwide, he's Pope Francis. For Argentina's poorest citizens, crowded in "misery villages" throughout the capital, he's proudly known as one of their own, a true "slum pope."

Division among cardinals paved way for selection of Pope Francis Posted: 15 Mar 2013 11:47 AM PDT The surprise election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope was the result of a determination among many cardinals to pick a candidate from outside Europe, Vatican insiders say.

More religious leaders join battle against Manitoba anti-bully bill Posted: 15 Mar 2013 11:43 AM PDT WINNIPEG - More religious leaders have joined opposition to Manitoba's proposed anti-bullying law, saying religious schools must not be forced to accommodate groups that promote equality for gays and lesbians.

Pope Francis trinkets sell briskly near Vatican Posted: 15 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PDT VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Less than 48 hours after his surprise election, Pope Francis's smiling face adorns pendants and devotional souvenir cards packaged with rosaries at the trinket stands near St. Peter's Square. Small plastic bags containing a picture of Francis and a rosary - a string of prayer beads - were selling for 7 euros ($9) at Antonio Cardone's stand and postcards showing the new pontiff were selling briskly at 50 cents. "We expect more stuff to arrive in the coming days," said Cardone. "Especially when he's officially installed on Tuesday. ...

Argentine gays remember new pope's 'war' against gay marriage when he was cardinal Posted: 15 Mar 2013 10:53 AM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - While the appointment of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope has filled many in this deeply Catholic country with pride, members of the gay pride community are unsurprisingly less than enthusiastic with the Vatican's choice.

Pope visits ailing Argentine cardinal in hospital Posted: 15 Mar 2013 10:53 AM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Friday made a surprise visit to a Rome hospital to cheer up a fellow Argentine, a cardinal who had a heart attack the day the pontiff was elected.

Can Pope Francis' focus on poor attract 'indifferent Catholics' back to church? Posted: 15 Mar 2013 10:26 AM PDT As Pope Francis made his first speech to the world yesterday from the white balcony on St. Peter's Basilica, he rebuffed some of the traditional pomp and circumstance, reportedly declining the ornate Vatican jewelry and fur-lined red cloak.

European Muslims see dialogue hope in pope name Posted: 15 Mar 2013 10:26 AM PDT By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Muslims in Europe see hope for better relations with Roman Catholicism after the new pope took the name Francis, recalling the 13th-century saint known for his efforts to launch Christian dialogue with Islam. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio chose the name after his election on Wednesday in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, who is revered for his radical poverty and humility. Francis met the sultan of Egypt in 1219 on a peace mission during the Fifth Crusade. St. ...

On trial for sexual assault, Catholic priest surprises jury with tale of his secret marriage Posted: 15 Mar 2013 10:07 AM PDT LONDON - A jury in northern England got a surprise at the trial of a Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl: The cleric has been secretly married for more than a decade.

Pope urges leaders of crisis-hit Church not to be discouraged Posted: 15 Mar 2013 09:36 AM PDT VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday urged leaders of a Roman Catholic Church riven by scandal and crisis never to give in to discouragement and bitterness but to keep their eyes on their true mission. "Let us never give in to the pessimism, to that bitterness, that the devil places before us every day. Let us not give into pessimism and discouragement," he told cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to greet him. Since his election on Wednesday night as the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis has been laying out a clear moral path for the 1. ...

Charlotte Church is back with new material, tour Posted: 15 Mar 2013 09:33 AM PDT In terms of chronological age, Charlotte Church — at just 27 — is probably too young for a comeback tour and album. But launching a second act can be tough when you charmed the world at 12.As a young girl, ...

Pope's former neighbor recalls his 'love' letter Posted: 15 Mar 2013 08:32 AM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — An Argentine woman who grew up as the neighbor of the future Pope Francis says she was very briefly the object of his affections when they were just 12 years old.

UK's Cameron disagrees with pope over Falklands Posted: 15 Mar 2013 08:18 AM PDT LONDON (AP) — The pope may be infallible to his followers, but not to British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Will Jesuit identity help Pope Francis repair 'fractured church'? Posted: 15 Mar 2013 08:00 AM PDT Jorge Mario Bergoglio may be the first pope from the Americas, and the first to call himself Francis. But he is also the first Jesuit ever to head the Roman Catholic Church – perhaps surprising given the order's visible prominence in 112 nations on six continents.

Britain's Cameron says pope is wrong on the Falklands Posted: 15 Mar 2013 07:09 AM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday that Pope Francis had been wrong to say last year that Britain had "usurped" the Falkland Islands from Argentina, saying he respectfully disagreed with the new Pontiff. Argentine media quoted Jorge Bergoglio saying at a mass last year to mark the 30th anniversary of the war over the islands between Britain and Argentina that the territory had been "usurped". In 2010 he was quoted as saying it was "ours". ...

Don't come to Rome, give money to poor, pope tells Argentines Posted: 15 Mar 2013 06:50 AM PDT VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has attempted to dissuade Argentines from making costly trips to Rome for his inaugural Mass next week, suggesting they make a contribution to the poor instead, the Vatican said on Friday. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pope had called the Vatican ambassador in Buenos Aires on the night he was elected and told him of his wishes. The new pope had made a similar request to his fellow countrymen when he was made a cardinal in 2001 and Argentina was suffering from the effects of a financial crisis. ...

Vatican denies Pope stayed silent during dictatorship Posted: 15 Mar 2013 06:20 AM PDT ROME (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday strongly denied accusations by some critics in Argentina that Pope Francis stayed silent during systematic human rights abuses by the former military dictatorship. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters the accusations: "Must be clearly and firmly denied." He added that, "They reveal anti-clerical left-wing elements that are used to attack the Church". ...

Priest kidnapped by junta: Reconciled with pope Posted: 15 Mar 2013 05:26 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — A Jesuit priest whose kidnapping by the Argentine military junta decades ago led to strong criticism of the newly elected pope said Friday that he and the pontiff have reconciled.

Pope Francis feted in Italian ancestral village Posted: 15 Mar 2013 05:22 AM PDT By Antonella Ciancio BRICCO MARMORITO, Italy (Reuters) - Jorge Mario Bergoglio has made history as the first pontiff from Latin America, but his distant cousins in a hilltop hamlet in northern Italy claim Argentina's Pope Francis as one of their own. Bergoglio's great grandfather, also named Francesco or Francis, bought a farmhouse in 1864 in Bricco Marmorito which sits in the shadow of the snow-capped Alps in a wine-producing region in northwest Italy. Relatives living in the quiet hamlet were as excited as anyone when Bergoglio's name was announced as the new pope from the balcony of St. ...

Pope pays tribute to Benedict in cardinal meeting, says he "enriched and invigorated" church Posted: 15 Mar 2013 04:58 AM PDT VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis paid a heartfelt tribute Friday to his predecessor Benedict XVI, saying his faith and teaching had "enriched and invigorated" the Catholic Church and would remain its spiritual patrimony forever.

Jesuit priest kidnapped in Argentina while under Bergoglio says he's reconciled with new pope Posted: 15 Mar 2013 04:58 AM PDT BERLIN - A Jesuit priest kidnapped in 1976 by Argentina's military junta when the new pope was the leader of that country's Jesuits says he has reconciled with him.

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