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Sacraments
Pope: Anointing of the sick offers strength to those seriously ill, elderly
Pope Francis reminds Catholics that there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. In his prayer...
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Sacraments
Act of Contrition is affirmation of God's loving mercy, pope says
In a talk prepared for the confessors in Rome's major basilicas and priests and seminarians attending a Vatican-sponsored course on confessions, Pope Francis focused on...
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Sacraments
Changing words in sacraments can make them invalid, dicastery warns
The Catholic Church "celebrates with faithful love and veneration the sacraments that Christ himself has entrusted to her" and cannot allow priests or other ministers to...
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Sacraments
Faith is a gift to celebrate, pope says as he baptizes babies
At the Vatican and in Italy, Catholics celebrated the feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jan. 7. Pope Francis, as is customary, began the day by administering the sacrament...
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Sacraments
Doctrinal dicastery says transsexuals can be baptized
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in a document approved by Pope Francis, explained the circumstances under which a transgender person could be baptized and...
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Sacraments
A host of sacramental statistics: Vatican tracks practice of the faith
The Vatican has an office dedicated to collecting statistics from every diocese around the world; the numbers are compiled into a yearbook and include a look at Catholic...
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Sacraments
Confession is 'encounter of love' that fights evil, pope tells priests
Pope Francis, who has said he goes to confession every two weeks, meets during Lent with priests and those about to be ordained at the end of a Vatican-sponsored course...