The Vatican has denied that Pope Francis "abolished sin", after a newspaper article said he had done so through his words and gestures.
A priest who openly professed his love for a parishioner has been defrocked by the Italian Catholic Church despite an overwhelming show of support from his congregation, press reports said on Tuesday. Padua Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo issued a decree on Monday forbidding Don Sante Sguotti to hear confession in Monterosso, near the northern city of Padua.
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/ 17 September 2007
Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari wants to step up his war on pigeons, going so far as to outlaw wedding parties from throwing the traditional handful of rice at newlyweds, Italian media reported on Monday. The daily <i>La Repubblica</i> said the draft ordinance would prohibit the throwing of rice outside the Palazzo Cavalli wedding hall.
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/ 3 September 2007
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon headed for Sudan on Monday to lay the groundwork for a solution to the festering Darfur conflict through talks and deployment of thousands of peacekeepers. Ban will seek commitment to his plan from Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and visit a refugee camp in the western Sudanese Darfur region.