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At hearing, Becerra won't name single abortion restriction he favors
Washington D.C., Feb 24, 2021 CNA.- President Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services declined at a hearing Wednesday to state if he would support any theoretical type of restriction on abortion.
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New NBA player credits making it to the pros to his faith, family, school
INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- On the day his dream came true, Desmond Bane stood in front of the modest home where he grew up, wanting to pay tribute to all the people who supported him along the way. Flashing a huge smile, the 22-year-old Bane created a video that focused on his family, his friends and all his supporters in his hometown of Richmond, Indiana.
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Brooklyn bishop calls suit accusing him of decades-old abuse 'defamatory'
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CNS) -- Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said Feb. 22 a lawsuit filed against him in New Jersey Superior Court over a claim of abuse that allegedly occurred decades ago "is defamatory."
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Virginia governor expected to sign death penalty ban, abortion funding bill
ARLINGTON, Va. (CNS) -- The Virginia General Assembly passed a final version of a bill that will abolish the death penalty in the state Feb. 22. The Senate voted 22-16 to pass the death penalty abolition bill and the House of Delegates voted 57-43 to approve the identical bill, according to the advocacy group Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. There is expected to be a public signing ceremony with Gov. Ralph Northam in April.
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Cardinal prays on CNN program marking 500,000 COVID-19 deaths in U.S.
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During a Feb. 22 evening program on CNN, Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory offered a prayer for those who have died from COVID-19 asking God to "grant enteral peace to all our sisters and brothers lost to this disease."
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USCCB: Equality Act would 'punish' religious groups opposed to gender ideology
Washington D.C., Feb 19, 2021 CNA.- The U.S. bishops’ conference (USCCB) has come out in opposition to the Equality Act, which was introduced in the U.S. House on Thursday. The bill, introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), would recognize sexual orientation and gender identity as protected legal classes in a variety of areas including housing, education, and public spaces. Critics have warned that it would erode religious freedom and enshrine the redefinition of marriage and gender ideology in law, requiring people and groups to confirm to LGBT “equality” and transgender ideology regardless of their religious beliefs.
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Pope tells attendees of L.A.'s virtual congress to proclaim God's promise
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Pope Francis told attendees at this year's all-virtual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress to look for hope amid the pandemic -- "a difficult time for all" -- in the very theme of their gathering: "Proclaim the Promise!"
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S.C. governor signs abortion bill, says right to life is 'fundamental'
COLUMBIA, S.C. (CNS) -- Saying "there are a lot of happy hearts beating right now," Republican Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina signed a bill into law Feb. 18 that would prohibit most abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected on ultrasound.
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Maine diocese: New restrictions on churches 'unacceptable'
Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2021 CNA.- The bishop of Portland, Maine, is calling the state’s updated restrictions on religious services “unacceptable.” On Friday, Feb. 12, Gov. Janet Mills (D) issued a new executive order on public gatherings during the pandemic. Mills’ order changed restrictions on indoor religious gatherings from a limit of 50 people total to a limit of five people per 1,000 square feet of space.
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Catholics reminded Lent a time of self-reflection, atonement, preparation
DETROIT (CNS) -- "Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron reflected on these words of St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians, which are meant not just for a specific people at a specific time, but are intended for the faithful here and today.
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Winter storm's grip doesn't stop ministries, outreach in Dallas Diocese
DALLAS (CNS) -- Despite the grip the historic winter storm had on north Texas, faith fueled outreach to Catholics and other community members in the Diocese of Dallas. "It's an opportunity for us to provide to our parishioners in any way we can," Dallas Bishop Edward J. Burns said. "We recognize that we have to do church differently these days."
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Severe weather prompts emergency response from church leaders as Lent begins
CLEVELAND (CNS) -- Below-zero temperatures, teeth-chattering wind chills and deep snow turned the southern Plains into an Arctic landscape, forcing Catholic Charities agencies to adopt emergency measures to get people to safety.
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House bill recognizes fetal pain, would bar most abortions after 20 weeks
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Citing leading experts in the field of fetal pain, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said the proposed Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would end the "excruciating suffering and physical pain of unborn babies" by barring most abortions after 20 weeks gestation.
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Biden reestablishes White House faith-based partnership office
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President Joe Biden signed an executive order Feb. 14 reestablishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships as a means to work with religious and secular organizations to help with COVID-19 and economic recovery and confront systemic racism.
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Pew report findings will validate faith of some, or cause soul-searching
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When a 176-page report is issued on a subject that hasn't been addressed comprehensively in more than a generation, it's tough to compress its findings into a few short paragraphs.
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Franciscans mark 600th year of pope establishing Commissaries of Holy Land
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Before he became guardian and commissary of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington in 2013, Franciscan Father Larry Dunham made his first trip to the Holy Land, where his order has cared for the most sacred shrines of Christendom for centuries.
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'God, for ever and ever,' U.S. bishops adjust liturgical translation
Denver (CNA) -- The U.S. bishops' conference last week decreed that in the translation of the conclusion of collects in the Roman Missal, "one" is to be omitted before "God." The conclusions will now read "God, for ever and ever."
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Judge stops pandemic capacity limits placed on New York synagogues
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CNS) -- A federal judge in Brooklyn Feb. 9 permanently blocked New York state capacity limits for worship at Orthodox synagogues in areas with high rates of COVID-19 infections. The permanent injunction applies to all of the houses of worship in these areas in the state and is one of the first in the country to stop percentage-of-occupancy limits on worship attendance.
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Bishop says missionary goal is to deliver the 'good news of a God of love'
DENVER (CNS) -- Denver Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez had two questions about sharing the Catholic faith for participants in this year's Fellowship of Catholic University Students conference: "Are we presenting in our message the true image of God? Are we delivering the good news of a God of love?"
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General dispensation from Sunday Mass in Detroit Archdiocese expires March 13
DETROIT (CNS) -- Citing the "essential and central nature of the eucharistic sacrifice" in the life of the Catholic Church, Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron Feb. 9 announced the general dispensation from Sunday Mass for Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit will expire March 13.
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Naming street near cathedral for Archbishop Sheen called 'wonderful tribute'
PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) -- In a celebration blending religious and civic pride in one of Peoria's most famous and influential historic residents, the street outside St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria was given the honorary designation of "Bishop Fulton Sheen Avenue" Feb. 4.
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Bill would block taxpayer funding of abortion, make Hyde Amendment permanent
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, has introduced a bill to prohibit use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. H.R. 18 -- the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2021 -- would make the long-standing Hyde Amendment permanent and keep in place similar provisions to ensure no federal dollars are used to pay for abortion and health plans that include abortion.
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Kansas bishop steps aside from duties as abuse allegation is investigated
DODGE CITY, Kan. (CNS) -- Denying any wrongdoing, Bishop John B. Brungardt of Dodge City has stepped away from his duties and pledged to cooperate with authorities investigating an allegation of abuse of a minor made against him.
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World Marriage Day to be celebrated this year on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- This year, World Marriage Day, observed annually on the second Sunday of February, will be celebrated Feb. 14, which also is the feast of St. Valentine and which since the eighth century has been a celebration of love and affection.
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University leaders urge Senate to act quickly on newly introduced DREAM Act
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- An alliance of presidents of U.S. colleges and universities, including Catholic institutions, said the bipartisan DREAM Act of 2021 "represents the first step to restore certainty into the lives of young adults, students, and other aspiring Americans who want nothing more than to be an integral part of the fabric of this country."
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SEEK21 speakers share own faith experiences, say Christ has all the answers
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- A bishop and a religious sister who shared the keynote spotlight on the opening night of SEEK21, this year's national conference of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, discussed their own faith journeys and how Catholics from around the world can improve their faith by accepting Jesus' divine character.
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U.S. Senate again fails to pass Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Failure to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act "shows just how extreme the majority of Senate Democrats are," said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.
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Chicago archdiocesan schools see 'virtually no' COVID-19 transmission
CHICAGO (CNS) -- Chicago archdiocesan school officials are finding that in-person learning, done safely and in compliance with federal guidelines, has not resulted in high rates of person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff.
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Ash Wednesday: Different look, same message
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Ash Wednesday, as with many other things right now, will have a different look at many Catholic parishes across the United States this year. For starters, Catholic churches that are often standing-room only on this day -- drawing crowds just short of the Easter and Christmas congregations -- will be at their pandemic-restricted size limits with members of the congregation spread out in socially distanced seating.
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