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In just a few months, the world will have its first digital saint. Pope Francis on Wednesday announced April plans to canonize a teenage web designer who documented miracles online and used his tech skills to maintain web sites for local Catholic organizations. Acutis, who was born to Italian parents in London, was a web designer who died of leukemia in Italy in 2006 at the age of 15. The church has attributed two miracles to the teen informally known as “God’s influencer.”In May, the pope attributed a second miracle to the teen, who is set to become the church’s youngest contemporary saint. The move came four years after he was beatified in 2020 after one miracle was attributed to him.

Persons: Pope Francis, Carlo Acutis, ”, canonize, Giorgio Frassati Organizations: Wednesday, Adolescents, Vatican News, Roman Catholic Church Locations: Italy, London, Italian

☆ Conclave: How realistic is the movie which lifts a lid on how a pope is elected?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —This has been a blockbuster election year politically, so it’s fitting that a new movie shines a light on an ancient and highly secretive voting process: the selection of a new pope. Brían F. O'Byrne as Cardinal O'Malley (L) and Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence (R) in the movie "Conclave." They cast them in the Sistine Chapel, in front of the awe-inspiring sight of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” writing their choices on paper ballots that are then burnt after being counted. The crowd waiting outside is informed that a pope has been elected when the chimney above the Sistine Chapel billows out white smoke. White smoke emerged from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel when a new pope was elected on March 13, 2013.

Persons: ”, Edward Berger, Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, Robert Harris, F, O'Byrne, Cardinal O'Malley, Cardinal Lawrence, Bishop Robert Barron, egotism, Fiennes ’, Pope Francis, Steven P, Millies, Bernardin, “, Joe Raedle, Harris, Cormac Murphy O’Connor, Peter Straughan, Tom Reese Organizations: CNN, Roman Catholic Church, Fire Catholic, Bernardin Center, Catholic Theological Union, Jesuit Locations: British, Central, Chicago, Washington ,

“And then this oppressive atmosphere in the town and the control that the Church exerts over the whole of society. “Small Things Like These” may appear to be a small, quiet film, especially when compared to Murphy’s Oscar-winning blockbuster “Oppenheimer,” but the film’s hero is on an epic moral journey. Despite having the feel of a period movie, this Irish story has not yet been consigned to the past. This is the first film for Murphy’s production company, “Big Things” and is executive produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. “Small Things Like These” releases in theaters in the US on Friday and is already out in cinemas in the UK.

Persons: Cillian Murphy, Oscar winner’s, Yvonne McGuinness, Murphy, Claire Keegan’s Booker, Ireland’s Magdalene laundries, “, didn’t, Enda Walsh, Peaky, Tim Mielants, ” Murphy, Bill Furlong, Enda Bowe, Furlong, Bill, Emily Watson, Murphy’s Oscar, “ Oppenheimer, ”, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck Organizations: CNN, Catholic Church, Lionsgate, Ireland, Roman Catholic Church Locations: Ireland’s, Northern Ireland

☆ ‘The saddest thing I’ve seen in Italy’: Tiny Trevi Fountain stand-in pool draws scorn
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | Antonia Mortensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

For travel tips, recipes and more insight on Italian culture, sign up for CNN’s Unlocking Italy newsletter. Erected late last week, the pool is adorned with unpainted plywood and sits behind a tall fence covered by transparent plastic, over which tourists throw coins in the hope of hitting the water. An official with Rome City Hall politely refused to comment on either theory. Two coins means you’ll fall in love with an attractive Italian, and three coins means you will marry that person. Coins are removed twice a day and the pool is emptied and refilled every morning.

Persons: Rome CNN —, Trevi, Cecilia Fabiano Organizations: Rome CNN, Rome City Hall, Catholic Locations: Rome, Italy

☆ A leader of Mexican folk saint cult ‘La Santa Muerte’ is killed at an altar to the skeletal figure
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY — A local leader of the Mexican folk saint cult “La Santa Muerte” was gunned down at an altar to the skeletal figure late Friday, authorities said. Two other people were killed and eight injured in the attack in the city of Leon, in Guanajuato state, the authorities added. But that didn’t work for “La Madrina Chayo,” a woman considered a leader of the cult in the north-central state of Guanajuato. Like Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday, the Santa Muerte is honored on Nov. 1 and 2. While the cult may sound ominous, the annual celebrations honoring the Santa Muerte are friendly affairs, with people warmly greeting fellow worshippers and offering them small gifts.

Persons: ”, —, “, Santa Muerte Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Roman Catholic, Prosecutors Locations: MEXICO, Santa, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, Santa Muerte

☆ Catholic Church still failing to ensure clerical abuse is reported, Pope Francis’ commission says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Antonia Mortensen | Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Parts of the Roman Catholic Church are still failing to ensure clerical sexual abuse is reported adequately, Pope Francis’ commission for child protection said Tuesday, raising concerns about a “lack of transparency” in the Vatican’s handling of cases. “At times, the commission found a troubling lack of reporting structures and victim/survivor accompaniment services,” the report said. “The commission found a persistent concern regarding the transparency in the Roman Curia’s (the church’s central administration) procedures and juridical processes. The commission notes that this will continue to foment distrust among the faithful, especially the victim/survivor community,” it added. Francis asked the commission two years ago to produce an annual report on child protection initiatives which he wanted to help bring “transparency and accountability” on abuse.

Persons: Pope Francis ’, “, Maud de Boer, Francis, ” Organizations: CNN, Roman Catholic Church, Pontifical Commission, Minors, UN Locations: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Cameroon

☆ Skeletal remains of ‘Well-man’ linked to centuries-old Norse text
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Researchers have connected the identity of skeletal remains found in a well at Norway’s Sverresborg castle to a passage in a centuries-old Norse text. The text is rich in detail, including full names, locations, battles and military strategy as well as Sverre’s speeches. For the latest study, Martin and his colleagues wanted to bring together historical, archaeological and genetic context for Well-man’s remains. Excavations in 2014 and 2016 unearthed more of Well-man's remains, including his skull. Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage ResearchA surprising portrait of Well-manAn initial radiocarbon dating analysis helped the research team confirm that Well-man’s remains were about 900 years old, which aligns with the timeline in the Sverris saga.

Persons: King Sverre Sigurdsson, —, It’s, ”, Michael D, Martin, they’re, King Sverre, King Sigurd Munn, Sverre, Munn, “, Dr, Martin Ellegaard, Agnar Helgason, King Sverre’s, ” Martin, ” Ellegaard, Maja Krzewińska, Krzewińska, ” Krzewińska, he’s Organizations: CNN —, Cell Press, Norwegian University of Science, Technology’s University Museum, Roman Catholic Church, Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage, Technology, Palaeogenetics Locations: Norway, Trondheim, Europe, Bergen, Sverresborg, what’s, “, Stockholm, Sweden

☆ ‘Conclave’: A Fly on the Wall Inside the Secret Process to Elect a Pope
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | More About Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When a pope dies, cardinals younger than 80 gather at the Vatican to elect his successor in what is known as a conclave. Recent papal elections have offered glimpses of this highly secretive process by allowing television cameras to capture some of the pomp and prayers leading up to the voting. Edward Berger’s new drama, “Conclave,” which opens Friday, catapults audiences back inside the Sistine Chapel for a cinematically rare, if fictionalized, peek at the confidential electoral proceedings of the Roman Catholic Church. Re“Ancient rituals clashing with modernity,” Berger said, describing the film in a video interview. “It’s all politics in the end,” said Robert Harris, who wrote the 2016 novel on which Peter Straughan based his screenplay.

Persons: Edward Berger’s, ” Berger, Ralph Fiennes, Lawrence, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto, ”, Robert Harris, Peter Straughan Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, College of Cardinals

Create your free profile or log in to save this articleCreate your free profile or log in to save this articleMadonna's brother Christopher Ciccone, an artist and interior designer, died Friday at 63 after a battle with late-stage cancer. Discovering Dance in our small Midwestern town saved me and then my brother came along, and it saved him too." Madonna poses with her brother Christopher Ciccone, left, and director Alek Keskishian following the premiere showing of her film "Truth or Dare" in Los Angeles in 1991. Madonna wrote, adding that she admired him for his "impeccable taste" and "sharp tongue." In 2008, Ciccone published a memoir, "Life With My Sister Madonna," that caused a rift between the siblings amid an already deteriorating relationship.

Persons: Christopher Ciccone, Ciccone, Madonna, Alek Keskishian, Julie Markes, I’m, he’s Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, The Police Locations: New York City, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Manhattan

☆ Why some women stay in religious groups that don’t let them become leaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

“It hurt,” says Muse, the executive pastor of Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Nikki Hardeman, of Atlanta, an advocacy director for Baptist Women in Ministry, left, Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, center, and Christa Brown, an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and a supporter of the Baptist Women in Ministry, protest outside the venue of a Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting on June 11, 2024, in Indianapolis. Some Southern Baptist leaders, for example, say they do not oppose women running for political office. And yet millions of women still give their time and money to church groups that won’t allow them to lead men. Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, a group that works with the SBC and other Baptist groups.

Persons: Kristen Muse, Muse, Paul, Timothy, ”, Hayes Barton, “, –, Clint Pressley, Nikki Hardeman, Meredith Stone, Christa Brown, Doug McSchooler, Albert Mohler Jr, Kamala Harris, Shelby Tauber, ” Muse, Christ, Mary Kassian, Beth Allison Barr, Barr, Jesus, Pope Francis, lectors, Beth Moore, Terry Wyatt, Moore, Infants, ” Barr, it’s, they’re, Rick Warren, Peter Smith, that’s, she’s, Rabbi Nachman, Rosh Hashana, Sergei Supinsky, don’t, ‘, Bishop Teresa Jefferson, Jay Reeves, Deborah, Lydia, Priscilla, Dorcas, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Luke, hasn’t, John Blake Organizations: CNN, National Public Radio, Southern Baptist Convention, Hayes Barton Baptist Church, SBC, Baptist Women, Ministry, Southern Baptist, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Roman Catholic Church, of God, Reuters, complementarianism, Children, Baylor University, Research, Saddleback Church, Saddleback, Getty, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Moody Temple CME Church, Jefferson Locations: manila, Raleigh , North Carolina, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Indiana, Dallas , Texas, Nashville , Tennessee, Texas, Saddleback, Southern California, New Orleans, Uman, Ukraine, AFP, Raleigh, Moody, Fairfield , Alabama, Israel

☆ 5,000 Miles, 8 Countries: The Path to the U.S. Through One Family’s Eyes
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Luis Ferré-Sadurní | Juan Arredondo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

With three children and a dog, the Aguilar Ortega family trekked through the jungle, hopped freight trains and toured Times Square. Millions of Venezuelans like the Aguilar Ortega family have fled economic misery and political repression in their homeland as it descended into turmoil. “The kids want to go to New York,” Mr. Aguilar said in Spanish as he stood by his tent in Mexico City. Mr. Aguilar created hiding places for their cash, using toenail clippers to cut small openings into Hayli’s jacket and Josué’s pants. She called Ms. Ortega to check in, and learned of the family’s setup.

Persons: Aguilar Ortega, trekked, Miles, — Hayli, Samuel, Henry Aguilar, Leivy Ortega, Eric Adams, Biden, Aguilar, Ms, Ortega, Donna, ” Mr, ”, COLOMBIA Samuel, Hayli, Nicolás Maduro, It’s, Mr, selfies, “, Josué, Donna meandered, patted, Aguilar Ortegas, Aguilar’s, weren’t, “ It’s, Rafael García, “ Papi, Ortega’s, Floyd Bennett, Simón, Floyd Bennett Field, “ I’ve, I’m, Maria Cardona, ” Ms, Cardona, Amy Swan, Ray Swan, Swan Organizations: New York Times, U.S ., The Times, GAP, MEXICO CITY, Mexico City, Central America, CIUDAD, Times, United, Venezuela’s, Roman Catholic Church, New York, La Guardia Airport, Delta, Roosevelt, Queens, Honda, Facebook Locations: Mexico City, Latin America, Venezuelan, New York City, New York, U.S, United States, Venezuela, “, COLOMBIA, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, la, ”, ” PANAMA, MEXICO, Guatemala, Mexico, earshot, Central, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Ciudad Juárez, Texas, Juárez, Mexican, Rio Grande . Texas, Rio Grande, Cuba, Haiti, El Paso , Texas, El Paso, PASO , TEXAS, York, La, Michigan, Santa Claus, Manhattan, Spanish, MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN, Brooklyn, Simón Bolivar, Spain, Jamaica, MIDDLETOWN, CONN, Middletown, Conn, Connecticut

☆ Carlo Maria Viganò: Archbishop critical of Pope Francis excommunicated for schism
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former papal ambassador to the United States who became an ultra-conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been excommunicated for schism. As a Vatican diplomat, the archbishop was tasked with serving the pope, which makes his excommunication for schism highly unusual. The Vatican explained Friday that Viganò was excommunicated following an “extrajudicial penal process,” although the archbishop has said he did not “recognize the legitimacy” of the process. “I don’t know what happened,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, said recently about the now-excommunicated archbishop. The Vatican said Viganò had been told of the excommunication and that only the Holy See could lift the sanction.

Persons: Carlo Maria Viganò, Pope Francis, Viganò, Francis, Theodore McCarrick, Francis ’, Kim Davis, “, ” Cardinal Pietro Parolin Organizations: CNN, Vatican, Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, State Locations: United States, Washington, DC, Francis, Vatican, Kentucky

☆ Slur by Francis Lays Bare the Church’s Contradictions on Homosexuality
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Emma Bubola | Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When reports spread that Pope Francis had used an offensive anti-gay slur while speaking to Italian bishops at a conference last month, many Catholics were both shocked and baffled. How could a pope known for his openness to and acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. people use homophobic slang and caution prelates about admitting gay men into seminaries? But the question, and the apparent inconsistency in Francis’ messaging, reflect the deep contradictions and tensions that underlie the Roman Catholic Church’s and Francis’ relationship to homosexuality. The church holds that “homosexual tendencies” are “intrinsically disordered.” When it comes to ordination, the church’s guidelines state that people with “deep-seated” gay tendencies should not become priests.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis ’, Catholic Church’s Organizations: Catholic

☆ For Gay Catholics and Supporters, a ‘Sense of Whiplash’ Over Pope’s Reported Use of Slur
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Amy Harmon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This was the pope who asked, “Who am I to judge?” in response to a question about gay priests in 2013. He announced last year that he would allow priests to bless same-sex couples, defying conservative critics in the Roman Catholic Church. And he apologized only weeks ago, in a statement from the Vatican, for using an offensive Italian term for gay men at a conference of bishops. Catholics by the church said his remarks, made in reference to the presence of gay men in seminaries and the clergy, showed the limits of his tolerance. Catholic ministry based in New York, who, like many gay Catholics, has struggled with his relationship to the church.

Persons: “, Pope Francis, ”, Michael O’Loughlin, I’ve Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, L.G.B.T.Q Locations: Rome, New York

☆ Angry Catholics Wanted to Burn the Church. He Came to Save It.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Norimitsu Onishi | Renaud Philippe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gérard Tsatselam boarded the ferryboat and settled in his usual place, on a reclining seat, at the back of a cold, unlit room that would have been packed in summer. Uneasy, he sat shrouded in his large, black coat as high winter winds delayed the boat’s arrival in the village where he was trying to save the church. Except for a quick stopover for a funeral, he had not visited his parish — in Unamen Shipu, an Indigenous reserve on the frigid, isolated coast of northeastern Quebec — in months. Mold had invaded the presbytery and left him scrambling for lodging on each visit. Another reason behind his unease was the enduring fallout from the accusations of sexual and other abuse by a predecessor, a Belgian priest.

Persons: Gérard Tsatselam, Mold, Father Gérard, — Organizations: Quebec —, Catholic, Central Locations: Unamen, Quebec, Belgian, Central African, Cameroon

☆ Vatican Document Casts Gender Change and Fluidity as Threat to Human Dignity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Jason Horowitz | Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Vatican on Monday issued a new document approved by Pope Francis stating that the church believes that gender fluidity and transition surgery, as well as surrogacy, amount to affronts to human dignity. The sex a person is assigned at birth, the document argued, was an “irrevocable gift” from God and “any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception.” People who desire “a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes,” risk succumbing “to the age-old temptation to make oneself God.”Regarding surrogacy, the document unequivocally stated the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition, whether the woman carrying a baby “is coerced into it or chooses to subject herself to it freely.” Surrogacy makes the child “a mere means subservient to the arbitrary gain or desire of others,” the Vatican said in the document, which also opposed in vitro fertilization. The document was intended as a broad statement of the church’s view on human dignity, including the exploitation of the poor, migrants, women and vulnerable people. The Vatican acknowledged that it was touching on difficult issues, but said that in a time of great tumult, it was essential, and it hoped beneficial, for the church to restate its teachings on the centrality of human dignity.

Persons: Pope Francis, ” Organizations: Catholic, Vatican

☆ I've visited Washington, DC, to see the famous cherry blossoms for years. Here are 6 secrets to skipping crowds and optimizing your trip.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Hayley Hutson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewWashington, DC, is one of the best places in the US to see cherry blossoms in the spring. Every year, more than 1.5 million tourists travel to DC for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. And, although fun, popular free events like the Blossom Kite Festival and Petalpalooza tend to be swarming with crowds. Walk the Hains Point loop trail — or golf amongst the bloomsEscape the bustling crowds and immerse yourself in cherry-blossom bliss at Hains Point loop trail. AdvertisementWhile you're on Hains Point Island, check out East Potomac Golf Links.

Persons: —, I've, it's, Hayley Hutson, Willard Intercontinental, Yoshino Organizations: Service, National Cherry Blossom, Business, Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, National, Roman Catholic, City Cruises, Washington, East, Golf, Arts Locations: Washington, DC, Dumbarton, Stanton, North America's, Potomac, Anacostia

☆ Pope Francis, Victim of AI, Warns Against Its 'Perverse' Dangers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Philip PullellaVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, acknowledging that he was the victim of a deepfake photo, on Wednesday warned against the "perverse" dangers of artificial intelligence, renewing a call for its worldwide regulation to harness it for the common good. Francis spoke of his fears and hopes for artificial intelligence (AI) in his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Social Communications, which will be marked around the world on May 12. Francis also spoke of fake "audio messages that use a person's voice to say things which that person never said". He renewed a call he made last month for a legally binding international treaty to regulate AI. AI must support and not eliminate the role of journalism on the ground, he said.

Persons: Philip Pullella, Pope Francis, Francis, Joe Biden's, Angus MacSwan Organizations: CITY, Wednesday, Roman Catholic, Social Communications Locations: U.S ., New Hampshire

☆ Pope Francis takes on vested interests to speak out on humanitarian crises
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Analysis Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Pope Francis received an emotional welcome on the island during a visit showing solidarity with migrants fleeing war and poverty. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis confesses in St. Peter's Basilica during the Vatican's Penitential Celebration on Friday, March 4, 2016. Alessandro Di Meo/AP Pope Francis arrives for his visit with prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Friday, July 10, 2015. Franco Origlia/Getty Images Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I address the faithful in Istanbul on Sunday, November 30, 2014. Gokhan Tan/Getty Images Pope Francis speaks during the feast-day Mass while on a one-day trip to Italy's Calabria region in June 2014.

Persons: Pope Francis, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Francis, “, ”, Regina Coeli, Vincenzo Pinto, Juan Manuel Santos, Santos, Alessandra Tarantino, L'Osservatore Romano, VINCENZO PINTO, Simon Bar Sabbae, Pope, FILIPPO MONTEFORTE, Karekin, TIZIANA FABI, Giuseppe Ciccia, MAX, Pope Francis tries, Pope Benedict XVI, Alessandro Di Meo, Evo Morales, OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Federico Lombardi, Lombardi, Gregorio Borgia, Getty Pope Francis, Raul Castro, Castro, GABRIEL BOUYS, ANDREAS SOLARO, Kurukkal SivaSri, Mahadeva, Pope Francis in, Eranga, Franco Origlia, Bartholomew I, Gokhan Tan, San Gregorio Magno, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh, Oli Scarff, Barack Obama, SAUL LOEB, Santa Sabina, Max ROSSI, Daniele De Sanctis, Pope Francis ', FABIO FRUSTACI, Benedict XVI, Benedict, L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Osservatore Romano Pope Francis, Vinicio Riva, Riva, CLAUDIO PERI, Rainbow Association Marco Iagulli Onlus, Fotografia, Father Don Renzo Zocca, Osservatore Romano, LUCA ZENNARO, Jorge Saenz, Dan Kitwood, Jesus, Internationalis Paulus VI, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Roman Catholic Church's, Peter Macdiarmid, Pope Francis Prev, it’s, He’s, Filippo Monteforte, Donald Trump’s, Czerny, Trump, Donald Trump, Melania, Evan Vucci, Reuters “, ” Cardinal Czerny, Cardinal Czerny, doesn’t, Francis ’, “ Jesus Organizations: CNN, Getty Images, Colombian, Revolutionary Armed Forces, International Catholic Rural Association, Vatican, AFP, Getty, Catholic Chaldean, St, Mercy, ARIS MESSINIS, MAX ROSSI, Getty Images Bolivian, Cuban, Sunday, Queen, getty, Rainbow Association, Renault, Catholic, Roman Catholic, Intelligence, Warner Bros, Discovery, “, Republican, Reuters Locations: St, AFP, Colombia, Rome, Tbilisi , Georgia, Auschwitz, Birkenau, Poland, Etchmiadzin, Yerevan, Armenia, Vatican City, Moria, Lesbos, Peter's, Mexican, Havana, Cuba, Mexico, Santa Cruz , Bolivia, South America, Ecuador, Paraguay, La Paz, Bolivia, Italian, Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Havana and Washington, Vatican, Pope Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Istanbul, Italy's Calabria, Jerusalem's Old City, Argentina, Roman Parish, San, Rome's, Santa, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Argentine, America, Gaza, Nove, Lampedusa, Italy, Ciampino, Czechoslovakia, Canada, United States, Africa

The Nicaraguan authorities said on Sunday that they had released 19 clergymen who had been jailed and handed them over to the Vatican, the latest development in the autocratic government’s longstanding persecution of the Roman Catholic Church. Among those set free was Bishop Rolando Álvarez, one of the most prominent critics of the government left in Nicaragua, who had been convicted of treason and sentenced to 26 years in prison last February. Another bishop, Isidoro Mora, 15 priests and two seminarians were also released. Silvio Báez, a Nicaraguan bishop in exile in the United States, celebrated the news in a Sunday Mass in Miami on Sunday, saying that “the criminal Sandinista dictatorship” of President Daniel Ortega “has not been able to overcome the power of God.”The release came after Pope Francis drew attention to the attacks on the church in his New Year’s Day address, telling the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square that he was “following with concern what is happening in Nicaragua, where bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom.”

Persons: Bishop Rolando Álvarez, Isidoro Mora, Silvio Báez, Daniel Ortega “, Pope Francis, ” Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, Sandinista Locations: Nicaragua, Nicaraguan, United States, Miami, St

☆ ‘Lost’ Botticelli masterpiece worth $109 million found in home in southern Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Jack Guy | Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rome CNN —A painting by the 15th-century master Sandro Botticelli, recorded as missing since the 1980s, has been found at a home in southern Italy. The depiction of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ was discovered in a home in the town of Gragnano, near Naples, according to the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Naples. The painting by the artist most famous for “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera” is estimated by Italian authorities to be worth at least €100 million ($109 million). “The family continues to hold the title of the work, which, however, will be preserved in a museum,” Croce added. The Somma family declined to comment when contacted by CNN.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN —, Sandro Botticelli, Virgin Mary, Christ, Venus ”, Santa Maria la Carità, Massimiliano Croce, Croce, ” Croce, “, Botticelli Organizations: Rome CNN, Protection Unit of Naples, Primavera, Roman Catholic Church, CNN, Cultural Locations: Italy, Gragnano, Naples, Neapolitan, Santa, State

☆ A missing Botticelli masterpiece worth $109 million was hanging in an Italian family's home for decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Botticelli masterpiece presumed missing for over 50 years had been hanging in an Italian family's home. Despite the painting being entrusted to the family for safekeeping, authorities had somehow marked it missing. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA Botticelli masterpiece reported missing for over half a century was found hiding in plain sight: hanging in an Italian family's home. The Italian authorities estimate the lesser-known painting, one of Botticelli's last, to be worth $109 million, according to the outlet.

Persons: Botticelli, Virgin Mary, —, Sandro Botticelli, Botticelli's, Primavera, Santa Maria la Carità, Massimiliano Croce, Croce Organizations: Service, Carabinieri Command, Cultural Heritage, CNN, Roman Catholic Church, Guardian Locations: Italian, Gragnano, Naples, Santa Maria

☆ Sabrina Carpenter says it was OK to film her horror-inspired video in a Catholic church because Jesus was a carpenter
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sabrina Carpenter isn't too bothered by her Catholic church music video controversy. She recently came under fire for filming parts of her "Feathers" music video at a Roman Catholic church in Brooklyn. "We got approval in advance," Carpenter told Variety, adding, "and Jesus was a carpenter." AdvertisementSabrina Carpenter doesn't seem bothered by the controversy surrounding her "Feathers" music video. Representatives for Carpenter and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment sent outside of regular business hours.

Persons: Sabrina Carpenter isn't, Carpenter, Variety, Jesus, —, Sabrina Carpenter doesn't, mansplain, Blessed Virgin Mary, Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan, Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, Bishop Brennan, Gigantiello Organizations: Roman Catholic, Service, Variety, Blessed Virgin Mary Church, of, Catholic New Agency, Brooklyn, CNA, Roman Catholic Diocese of Locations: Brooklyn, Brooklyn , New York, of Brooklyn, Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Lawyer Isabel Lazo’s jobs are being systematically canceled by Nicaragua’s increasingly repressive government. Lazo worked at a university before the government of President Daniel Ortega closed it. The couple lives in the northern city of Somoto, where Isabel Lazo now works for a European-backed NGO. Lazo said Thursday she is worried that it's only a matter of time for the group where she now works. She has wanted to emigrate for some time, but she helps her family by giving them some of what little money she earns.

Persons: Isabel Lazo’s, Nicaragua’s, Lazo, Daniel Ortega, Elizabeth Zechmeister, Guillermo Lazo, Ortega, Isabel Lazo, ”, ” Lazo, Rosemary Miranda, Miranda, ” Miranda Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Democracy, University of Northern, Roman Catholic, Nicaraguan, Cross, Jesuit, University of Central Locations: MEXICO, “, Americas, University of Northern Nicaragua, Somoto, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nicaraguan, University of Central America, Managua

At the end, Carpenter, 24, is filmed dancing in the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, wearing a short tulle dress and a black veil. The diocese said Bishop Robert Brennan also celebrated a Mass of Reparation at the church and “through the offering of this Mass, Bishop Brennan has restored the sanctity of this church and repaired the harm.”Political Cartoons View All 1270 ImagesEmails seeking comment were sent to representatives for Carpenter and the video director, Mia Barnes. In a post on Facebook following those actions asking for the church community's forgiveness, Gigantiello said a film crew had come to them in September, and that he allowed filming after not finding anything untoward in a search of the participants. Carpenter was in the Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World” series that ran from 2014-2017 and has been singing for several years. Her music video has been viewed 11 million times on YouTube since its release.

Persons: Sabrina Carpenter's, ” Carpenter, Carpenter, Blessed Virgin Mary Church, ”, Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, Robert Brennan, Bishop Brennan, Mia Barnes, Gigantiello, ” Gigantiello Organizations: Roman Catholic, Disney Channel, Roman Catholic Diocese of, Facebook, Disney, YouTube Locations: Brooklyn, Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, Queens

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