https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Pope Francis has named a special envoy to prioritise spirituality at the Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes in France over "managerial and financial" aspects. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190607/pope-francis-pushes-for-more-prayer-and-less-business-at-lourdes-shrine Fri, 07 Jun 2019 16:40:22 +0200 pope-francis-pushes-for-more-prayer-and-less-business-at-lourdes-shrine French President Emmanuel Macron made his first official visit to the Vatican on Tuesday where he held a record meeting with Pope Francis. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180626/pope-holds-record-meeting-with-french-president-macron-at-the-vatican Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:25:52 +0200 pope-holds-record-meeting-with-french-president-macron-at-the-vatican French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Tuesday. But what's the leader's history with the Catholic church so far? https://www.thelocal.fr/20180625/meeting-with-pope-puts-macrons-religious-views-in-spotlight Mon, 25 Jun 2018 16:11:09 +0200 meeting-with-pope-puts-macrons-religious-views-in-spotlight French churches have announced plans for a day of prayer for victims of sex abuse within the Catholic Church. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161014/fraench-churches-to-hold-day-of-prayer-for-sex-abuse-victims Fri, 14 Oct 2016 14:50:10 +0200 fraench-churches-to-hold-day-of-prayer-for-sex-abuse-victims French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, accused of covering up sex abuse, is a hardline Catholic who has been outspoken against gay marriage and championed the cause of Christians persecuted in Iraq and Syria. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160316/cardinal-barbarin-hardline-catholic-at-centre-of-sex-abuse-scandal Wed, 16 Mar 2016 08:36:08 +0100 cardinal-barbarin-hardline-catholic-at-centre-of-sex-abuse-scandal After nearly half a century of theological debate, French bishops have decided to change a potentially "blasphemous" version of the Lord's Prayer, to be included in a forthcoming French-language bible. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131015/french-church-changes-blasphemous-lords-prayer Tue, 15 Oct 2013 20:45:00 +0200 french-church-changes-blasphemous-lords-prayer A group of Catholic protestors in France were fined thousands of euros on Friday for interrupting and throwing smoke bombs at a 'blasphemous' piece of theatre, which featured the face of Christ being covered in fake excrement. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130621/catholic-group-fined-for-protesting-blasphemous-theatre Fri, 21 Jun 2013 17:25:00 +0200 catholic-group-fined-for-protesting-blasphemous-theatre France's Catholic church has a new leader as of Wednesday after Monsignor Georges Pontier, Archbishop of Marseilles, was elected president of the French conference of bishops. He succeeds Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130417/marseille-archbishop-is-new-head-of-french-catholics Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:03:00 +0200 marseille-archbishop-is-new-head-of-french-catholics France may be a secular country officially but the Catholic Church has always had a presence in French society. As the papal conclave meets this week to choose a new pope, The Local asks: How influential is the church in France? https://www.thelocal.fr/20130313/catholicism Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:00:00 +0100 catholicism