Pope Francis Says The Spreading Of Misinformation Is A Sin
The pope compared spreading sensationalized news stories to eating feces.
LEARN MOREPope Francis Might Let Married Men Become Priests
Although the Catholic Church does allow married men to achieve priesthood in some cases, it doesn't happen often.
Pope Francis Might Let Married Men Become Priests
Getty Images
March 10, 2017
Pope Francis says he might be open to letting some married men become priests.
The pope said in an interview with a German newspaper he would consider letting "viri probati" — or "tested men" — be ordained in the Catholic church.
He told the paper: "We need to think about whether 'viri probati' could be a possibility. If so, we would need to determine what duties they could undertake, for example, in remote communities."
The Catholic church does allow married priests in certain circumstances. For example, Protestant married priests who convert to Catholicism can stay married and become a Roman Catholic priest.
But for the most part, the church says priests should not get married. The belief is they should be celibate, like Christ was in the Bible.
That stipulation rules out a lot of men who would otherwise be eligible for priesthood. And, as a result, there's been a shortage of priests around the world, especially in South America. The pope is from Argentina.
Pope Francis has also been debating other groundbreaking changes to the church, like female deacons.
3:18
D.C. pastors are promoting healthy living among congregants
A government-backed program in D.C. is helping churches in underserved communities reach their wellness goals.
By Scripps NewsConcerns over prayer breakfast lead Congress to take it over
The organizer and host for this year's breakfast will be the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, headed by former Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.
By Patrick Semansky /APHistoric Black churches receive $4 million in preservation grants
Churches across the U.S. will each receive tens of thousands of dollars to aid in restoring their historic house of worship.
By APTop Stories
2:45
Lawmakers demand police reform at State of the Union
Civil rights leaders say having victims of police violence in the audience on Tuesday will help humanize the issue of police brutality.
By Cliff Owen / AP2:00
President Biden's State of the Union highlights economic promises
The economy is one of the key topics President Joe Biden will touch on Tuesday during his State of the Union address.
By AP2:56
How is winter changing?
A warmer winter is preventing ice from forming on the Great Lakes, which have steadily lost ice cover since the 1970s.
By Samantha Deleo / AP