Biden speaks about faith and curing cancer at the Vatican

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. came to this tiny city-state to talk about two of his deepest passions: his Roman Catholic faith and curing cancer.

At the Third International Regenerative Medicine Conference at the Vatican, Mr. Biden spoke about the urgent need to come up with new cures for cancer, a subject that has come to define his final year in office.

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While fiercely committed to the church, Mr. Biden often has seemed to take pride in defying parts of its hierarchy. His mother, he often has said, taught him never to kiss the pope’s ring. And of those who doubted his faith because of his disagreement with Catholic dogma, he once said, in 2005, “The next Republican that tells me I’m not religious, I’m going to shove my rosary down their throat.”

Mr. Biden has met two previous popes: John Paul II and Benedict XVI. He famously told Pope Benedict XVI to be easier on American nuns, the target of a Vatican crackdown for their activism on issues like poverty and health care. But his fondness for Pope Francis is obvious.

Joe Biden speaks about faith and curing cancer at the Vatican

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. came to this tiny city-state to talk about two of his deepest passions: his Roman Catholic faith and curing cancer.

At the Third International Regenerative Medicine Conference at the Vatican, Mr. Biden spoke about the urgent need to come up with new cures for cancer, a subject that has come to define his final year in office.

...

While fiercely committed to the church, Mr. Biden often has seemed to take pride in defying parts of its hierarchy. His mother, he often has said, taught him never to kiss the pope’s ring. And of those who doubted his faith because of his disagreement with Catholic dogma, he once said, in 2005, “The next Republican that tells me I’m not religious, I’m going to shove my rosary down their throat.”

Mr. Biden has met two previous popes: John Paul II and Benedict XVI. He famously told Pope Benedict XVI to be easier on American nuns, the target of a Vatican crackdown for their activism on issues like poverty and health care. But his fondness for Pope Francis is obvious.

Teenagers get surprise chance to confess to the pope

Sixteen teenagers have gotten an unexpected opportunity to confess sins to Pope Francis.

The pontiff made a surprise appearance late Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square, where thousands of Catholics faithful, ranging in age from 13 to 16, were participating in a special Holy Year youth day, including confession near the famed Colonnade of Bernini.

Francis and each of the 16 teenagers sat face-to-face in simple chairs set up in pairs for him and many others hearing confessions in the square. The teenagers seemed at ease, with Francis shaking hands warmly with the youths. In all, the pope spent more than an hour in the square.

He has dedicated the Holy Year to two central themes of his papacy: mercy and reconciliation.

Archbishop Christophe Pierre named Apostolic Nuncio to the United States

Pope Francis has appointed the French-born Archbishop Christophe Pierre, one of the Holy See’s most distinguished and respected diplomats, as the new apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The Vatican made the announcement, April 12, after the Holy See received the formal agreement from the Obama administration. He succeeds Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò who served as nuncio to the United States since Oct. 10, 2011. The Italian archbishop now ends his long years of service to the Holy See, and will retire to his homeland.

At the time of his new assignment, Archbishop Pierre was nuncio to Mexico, a position he has held with considerable distinction for the past nine years, since March 22, 2007. He comes to Washington, D.C., as an experienced diplomat, with first-hand knowledge of the dramatic plight of migrants from Central America and Mexico to the United States, and will be able to give voice to Pope Francis’ concern for them.

As nuncio, he will be the Holy See’s point man in relations with the U.S. administration and with the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (U.S.C.C.B.). One of his most important roles will be the identification of candidates to be bishops in this country. Pope Francis has already outlined clearly the qualities he wants to see in future bishops, and the new nuncio will ensure this is reflected in the names he presents to Rome.

UPDATE: My friend's sister died after a car crash.

My friend's sister was involved in a terrible accident Sunday morning. This (Monday) morning, she passed away.

She was only 16 years old.