Faith

13 - 12:26am

VATICAN CITY — Before they even saw his face, Pope Francis had already won over the Roman masses. The announcement that he would be known by the same name as St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy, sent the crowd into ecstasy. He did even better with his first words, when the 76-year-old Argentine said the cardinals had reached to the “end of the earth” to find the bishop of Rome — recalling the beloved Pope John Paul II, a Polish cardinal who told his first crowd in 1978 that cardinals had called him “from a far country.”

New pontiff is first Francis, the saint of peace and poverty 03/14/13 - 12:25am

VATICAN CITY — In choosing a name no other pope had ever taken, Pope Francis could be signaling that he sees the need for change in the Roman Catholic church. The name recalls two of the church’s most famous saints. One is Francis of Assisi, the man from the Umbrian hill town who renounced a wealthy, dissolute lifestyle to found the Franciscan order of friars in 1209, embracing a life of poverty and simplicity and going out in the countryside to preach a message of joy and peace.

Pope Francis is known for his simplicity and pastoral humility 03/14/13 - 12:24am

VATICAN CITY — In unadorned white robes, the first pope from the Americas sets a tone of simplicity and pastoral humility in a church desperate to move past the tarnished era of abuse scandals and internal Vatican upheavals. The choice of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio — who took the name Francis — reflected a series of history-making decisions by fellow cardinals who seemed determined to offer a message of renewal to a church under pressures on many fronts.

Announcement brings cheers, tears, high spirits for Catholic church 03/14/13 - 4:52pm

Local Catholics pleasantly surprised by new pope

When Pope Francis was introduced at the Vatican, the historic impact was felt in Lubbock. As his name and home country of Argentina were announced on TV, local Catholic figures at the Catholic Diocese of Lubbock, including Bishop Placido Rodriguez, let out claps, exclamations of surprise and even a few tears. Gloria Castro, local Catholic Church member, said she was keeping tabs on the election and felt honored and confident at the decision made by the cardinals.

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6-year-old boy's long hair an issue at Frenship school 03/13/13 - 12:57am

Family follows Native American spirituality

When school resumes Monday after spring break, 6-year-old JoJo Johnson will be away from his classmates at a desk in a Frenship Independent School District office His mother, Melissa Johnson, said Frenship administrators and Oak Ridge Elementary School told her JoJo will serve in-school suspension until she agrees to cut his long blond hair. But Johnson, whose grandmother was half Cherokee, said she and her fiancé follow Native American spirituality practices that include males not cutting their hair.

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As conclave approaches, Benedict XVI out of sight 03/12/13 - 12:06am

VATICAN CITY — As cardinals move to elect a new pope, the Vatican has seemed intent on getting people to forget the last one. Benedict XVI’s papacy ended last month with an act of great symbolism: Swiss Guards banged shut the giant doors of the papal palace in Castel Gandolfo at the strike of 8 p.m. Since then, Benedict has literally been kept out of sight, part of a calculated strategy to show he will play no role in selecting his successor. The emeritus pope has only been spotted once since retiring — in a photo snapped by a paparazzo hiding in a tree.

Heavy workload awaits next pope 03/12/13 - 12:04am

VATICAN CITY — The moment Cardinal Albino Luciani learned his colleagues had elected him pope, he responded: “May God forgive you for what you’ve done.” The remark, by the man who became Pope John Paul I, was seen as an expression of humility — but also a commentary on the mammoth task ahead. There is no job like that of pope. He is the CEO of a global enterprise, head of state, a moral voice in the world and, in the eyes of Roman Catholics, Christ’s representative on earth.

Old Catholic orders fade as monks, nuns age 03/09/13 - 1:16am

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — The nuns of “Le Creche,” the only orphanage in Bethlehem, have raised generations of children in this biblical town. But only four aging nuns remain, down from a dozen 30 years ago, and the Roman Catholic Church is struggling to replace them. In the meantime, they have hired a professional staff to do jobs once solely performed by nuns.

Cardinals set Tuesday as start date for conclave 03/09/13 - 1:17am

VATICAN CITY — Cardinals have set Tuesday as the start date for the conclave to elect the next pope, a milestone in this unusual papal transition and an indication that even without an obvious front-runner, the cardinals have a fairly good idea of who best among them can lead the Catholic Church and tackle its many problems. The conclave date was set Friday afternoon during a vote by the College of Cardinals who have been meeting all week to discuss the church’s problems and priorities and the qualities a new pope must possess.

Pratt: Acting your age means knowing your limitations 03/09/13 - 1:17am

Certain realities of life cannot be avoided, but are subject to shaping through awareness and adjustments in attitude and effort.

Remember when your mother said to you in that unmistakable tone of voice, “act your age.” You may not have had a clue what the reference to your age really meant, but you knew instantly to stop whatever you were doing, and avoid her laser gaze, far harder to endure than a spanking. Only recently did it occur to me that the key word in that phrase “act your age” is ACT. Act your age was exactly what we were doing in these public instances of silent correction. What she really meant was “grow up, and don’t embarrass your parents while you are doing it.”