Pope, Pence meet at the Vatican
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After Pope Francis and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met privately for nearly an hour at the Vatican, Pence told the pope that his Roman Catholic mother will be pleased with the visit.
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New research details Catholic inmates at Auschwitz
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- A Polish researcher has published the first study of religious practices among Christian prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau, as the 75th anniversary of the Nazi-run death camp's liberation was marked in Israel and Poland.
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Some Chinese churches suspend activities because of coronavirus
HONG KONG (CNS) -- Some churches in China have suspended community activities, including Mass, over fears of the deadly coronavirus virus that has already killed six people and continues to spread, reported ucanews.org.
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Financial watchdog group lifts Vatican suspension
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican announced that a suspension imposed on its financial oversight office by a prominent financial watchdog network has been lifted. In a statement released Jan. 23, Carmelo Barbagallo, head of the Vatican Financial Information Authority, said that Mariano Federici, president of the Egmont Group, "decided to revoke the decision taken on Nov. 13, 2019, to suspend the Financial Information Authority from the international information circuit, Egmont Secure Web."
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Looking East: Book on celibacy barely acknowledges Eastern tradition
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The controversy surrounding retired Pope Benedict XVI's contribution to a new book on priestly celibacy demonstrates just how much both substance and appearances matter. And, as far as substance goes, the book paid scant attention to the uninterrupted presence of married priests in all but two of the Eastern Catholic churches.
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Hospitality is an important ecumenical virtue, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Showing hospitality makes a person a better human being and a better Christian and is an important part of promoting Christian unity, Pope Francis said. "Working together to live with ecumenical hospitality, particularly toward those whose lives are most vulnerable, will make us -- all Christians, Protestants, Orthodox, Catholics, all Christians -- better human beings, better disciples and a more united Christian people," the pope said Jan. 22 during his weekly general audience.
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Integral development for all is a moral duty, pope tells leaders at Davos
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis told global business and government leaders that everyone has the moral responsibility to seek the integral development of all people, but especially those who are in need, suffering injustice or whose lives are threatened.
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Pope urges bishops to teach discernment, including on political issues
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Sometimes the political choices people face can seem like a choice between supporting a "snake" or supporting a "dragon," but Pope Francis told a group of U.S. bishops their job is to step back from partisan politics and help their faithful discern based on values, said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston.
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Pope decries 'barbaric resurgence' of anti-Semitism
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis condemned the "barbaric resurgence" of anti-Semitism and criticized the selfish indifference that is creating the conditions for division, populism and hatred. "I will never tire of firmly condemning every form of anti-Semitism," the pope told a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization based in Los Angeles that combats hate and anti-Semitism around the world.
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Pope hopes Berlin summit will lead to peace in Libya
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis said he hoped that an international summit in Berlin would be the first step toward peace in war-torn Libya. "I very much hope that this summit, which is so important, will be the start of a path toward an end to violence and a negotiated solution leading to peace and the much-desired stability of the country," the pope told pilgrims Jan. 19 during his Sunday Angelus address.
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Official logo for the Sunday of the Word of God unveiled at Vatican
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- An icon of the encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus was chosen as the official logo for the worldwide celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God. The colorful logo is based on an icon written by the late-Benedictine Sister Marie-Paul Farran, a member of the Our Lady of Calvary Congregation, who lived and worked at its monastery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
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What does Benedict XVI actually say in new book on priestly celibacy?
Vatican City, Jan 14, 2020 CNA.- In his chapter in a new book on priestly celibacy, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says a historical understanding of the priesthood in the Old and New Testaments makes it clear that celibacy is an ontological, rather than optional, part of the Catholic priesthood.
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Open source: Vatican wartime archives ready for new batch of scholars
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After decades of anticipation, the Vatican archives are ready to welcome, starting March 2, scores of scholars wishing to study documents related to the wartime pontificate of Pope Pius XII.
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Pope appoints first woman to Vatican foreign ministry post
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis named Francesca Di Giovanni, a longtime Vatican official, as an undersecretary in the Vatican's foreign ministry office, making her the first woman to hold a managerial position at the Vatican Secretariat of State.
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Canadian communities recall friends, relatives killed in Tehran crash
EDMONTON, Alberta (CNS) -- If grief is a journey, this is the first painful step: searing heartache. More than 2,500 people filled the Saville Community Sports Centre at the University of Alberta Jan. 12 to remember the lives of 13 Edmontonians and 163 others lost when Ukrainian Airlines International Flight PS752 was shot down by a missile shortly after takeoff from Tehran. All 176 people onboard were killed in the Jan. 8 crash, including 57 Canadians.
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Quebec to take ethics, religious culture out of school curriculum
QUEBEC CITY (CNS) -- The government of Quebec is about to eliminate its Ethics and Religious Culture curriculum, which replaced catechesis in schools in 2008. In announcing a public consultation about what should replace the program, Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge said there's still "too much" religion in schools.
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Bishops visiting Holy Land get look at complexities of Gaza Strip
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- In addition to a sense of isolation, young people in the Gaza Strip are experiencing an unemployment rate of 70 percent, and most see emigration as their only solution, said Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese of the Military Services.
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Retired pope wants his name removed as co-author of book on celibacy
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At the request of retired Pope Benedict XVI, his name will be removed as co-author of a book defending priestly celibacy, said Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vatican official who coordinated work on the book.
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French bishops' council OKs removing gender IDs on baptism certificates
OXFORD, England (CNS) -- The French bishops' permanent council has approved a recommendation to remove gender references for parents on baptismal certificates. Bishop Joseph de Metz-Noblat of Langres, president of the French bishops' Council for Canonical Questions, said the changes were made to bring baptismal practices into line with new gender-equality laws.
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Brazil's high court: Netflix can continue 'First Temptation of Christ'
SAO PAULO (CNS) -- Supreme Court Justice Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli has overturned a lower court decision to temporarily suspend Netflix's Brazilian-made movie, "The First Temptation of Christ." The satirical movie has been severely criticized by Catholic organizations and hundreds of Brazilians for suggesting that Jesus had a homosexual experience after spending 40 days in the desert.
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Spanish church leaders concerned about government secularization
VALENCIA, Spain (CNS) -- Spanish church leaders voiced concern for their country's future after the government pledged to legalize euthanasia, secularize education and strip the church of "improper assets."
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German bishop dampens hopes of shared Communion
ERFURT, Germany (CNS) -- Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg voiced skepticism about a recent proposal by German theologians for Catholics and Protestants to reciprocally open access to Communion. The German Catholic news agency KNA reported that Bishop Feige, head of the German bishops' commission on ecumenism, said the agreements formulated by an ecumenical working group in September did not necessarily correspond with the reality of the church work in practice.
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Evolving door: New Year may bring new opportunities for women at Vatican
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis opened 2020 with a strong call to acknowledge the dignity of women, end violence against them and stop the exploitation of women's bodies. His homily Jan. 1 was not generic: it referenced prostitution, rape, coerced abortions, pornography and even advertising.
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Don't let the devil light 'fire' of war in your heart, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People cannot call themselves Christians if they sow the seeds of war, Pope Francis said. Finding fault and condemning others is "the temptation of the devil for making war," the pope said in his homily during morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae Jan. 9, the same day he gave his annual address to the diplomats accredited to the Vatican.
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Amid threat of war, world must not give up hope, pope tells diplomats
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Hope is the virtue needed to approach the coming year, especially when the looming threat of war surrounds a humanity scarred by violence, Pope Francis said. During his annual address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, the pope said that with heightened tensions and acts of violence on the rise, the "new year does not seem to be marked by encouraging signs."
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Pope sets special day to honor, study, share the Bible
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The newly established "Sunday of the Word of God" is an invitation to Catholics across the world to deepen their appreciation, love and faithful witness to God and his word, Pope Francis said.
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Euthanasia increases organ donations in Canada amid ethical concerns
Ottawa, Canada, Jan 7, 2020 CNA.- Increasing numbers of peoplekilled by euthanasia are supplyinga “boon” for organ transplant surgeries in Canada, according to an Ottowa newspaper. But politicians and ethicists told CNA the practice was “rather horrifying” and raises questions of “coercion.”
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Iraqis hope attacks by U.S., Iran will ease and tensions will decrease
AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) -- Iraqis hope the violent attacks by the U.S. and Iran will ease and that moves to decrease tensions will take hold, said an Iraqi archbishop. Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Yousif Thomas Mirkis of Kirkuk, Iraq, repeated the overarching concern of the majority of Iraqis, regardless of their religious affiliation: that foreign troops stop using their shattered homeland as a battlefield to settle scores.
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Life's trials train Christians to be sensitive to others, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians survive trials and tribulations with the help of their faith in Christ and pay it forward by being compassionate toward others who suffer, Pope Francis said. "A 'tried' Christian can certainly become closer to those who suffer and make his or her heart open and sensitive in solidarity with others," the pope said Jan. 8 during his weekly general audience.
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Pope will celebrate Mass with bishops from 19 Mediterranean countries
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis will travel to the southern Italian seaport city of Bari in late February to close a meeting of bishops from countries bordering the Mediterranean, the Vatican confirmed.
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Worldly spirit blurs lines between good, evil, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians must be on guard against the spirit of worldliness that confuses and blurs the lines between what is good and what is evil, Pope Francis said. While the Holy Spirit gives men and women "the strength to remain in the Lord," there are still Christians who "even today identify the Holy Spirit only with the dove," the pope said Jan. 7 in his homily during morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
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New rules in China target unregistered Catholic, Protestant churches
SIEM REAP, Cambodia (CNS) -- The Chinese government has targeted unregistered Catholic and Protestant churches with a new expansion of rules and regulations governing religious organizations. It will institute another raft of laws covering 41 religion-related topics Feb. 1, two years after the implementation of another set of restrictive laws for religious groups in the country.
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Church workers join aid distribution after Jakarta floods leave 60 dead
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNS) -- Caritas Indonesia (Karina) has joined the Jakarta Archdiocese in distributing aid to people hard hit by floods that have killed dozens of people in and around Indonesia's capital.
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Faith is about worshipping God, not oneself, pope says on Epiphany
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Worshipping the Lord as the Three Kings did involves making a journey "from the greatest form of bondage: slavery to oneself," Pope Francis said on the feast of the Epiphany. To worship like the Magi did is "to bring gold to the Lord and to tell him that nothing is more precious than he is. To offer him incense and to tell him that only in union with him can our lives rise up to heaven. To present him with myrrh, balm for the bruised and wounded, and to promise him that we will aid our marginalized and suffering neighbors in whom he himself is present," the pope said.
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Pope prays for dialogue as tensions mount between U.S., Iran
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis led pilgrims in prayers for peace as tensions between the United States and Iran escalated following the assassination of a top Iranian general. Several days after Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, warned of "harsh retaliation" for the Jan. 3 U.S. drone attack that killed General Qassem Soleimani, the pope said that "a terrible air of tension is felt in many parts of the world."
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Iraqi cardinal: Innocents will 'be the fuel' for fire after drone strike
Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Sako, responding to a U.S. drone attack in Baghdad that killed Iran's top general, said "wisdom is required to avoid the 'volcanic eruption' we are about to face." Speaking during the Epiphany Mass in Baghdad Jan. 6, he said the current crisis resulted from the "upsetting escalation, as well as the emotional and impulsive decisions taken which lacked wisdom and the sense of responsibility."
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London cardinal condemns hate speech after anti-Semitic graffiti appears
MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- An English cardinal has condemned "all expressions of hatred" after anti-Semitic graffiti was daubed across shops, cafes and a synagogue in London. Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster denounced the Dec. 29 attacks, which coincided with the Jewish religious festival of Hanukkah.
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Ecological sin: Idea of updating catechism sparks debate
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' announcement that the Catechism of the Catholic Church would be updated to include a definition of "ecological sin" sent Catholic Twitter into a frenzy. Reactions ranged from praise for how seriously the church was taking the obligation to care for creation to cynicism or even outrage over the church's involvement in what many considered to be a highly politicized issue.
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Pope begins New Year with apology, prayers for peace
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis began the New Year with an apology for losing his patience the night before with a woman who grabbed his hand and yanked him closer to her while he was greeting people in St. Peter's Square.
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'A victory for women is a victory for humanity,' pope says on Marian feast
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The world will not know peace unless there is an end to violence against women, the exploitation of their bodies and the denial of their dignity, Pope Francis said on the feast of Mary, Mother of God.
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Notre-Dame still at risk of destruction, says rector
Paris, France, Dec 27, 2019 CNA.- This year Christmas Mass was not celebrated at Notre-Dame de Paris for the first time since the French First Republic, and the cathedral’s rector says that there is a significant chance the building cannot be rebuilt safely.
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Maltese cardinal, patristic scholar, dies at 94
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech, an Augustinian priest and expert on the fathers of the early church, died Dec. 30 at the Santo Spirito Hospital near the Vatican. He was 94. In a message of condolence to the prior general of the Augustinians, Pope Francis said he always had "great esteem" for the cardinal, "both because of his personal witness of Christian and consecrated life, as well as for his exemplary service to the formation of new generations, especially of priests."
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Nigerian diocesan spokesman: Bridal party beheaded en route to wedding
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- Father Francis Arinse, communications director of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, confirmed that a bride-to-be, Martha Bulus, and her bridal party were beheaded Dec. 26 at Gwoza, in northeastern Nigeria's Borno state.
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Vatican magazine looks at women in the church in the age of Pope Francis
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis sees the "masculine monochrome" of leadership and influence in the Catholic Church as "a defect, an imbalance" that harms the church itself and its mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the world, said the lead article in a Vatican magazine.
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Pope begins restoring normal governance to Chilean dioceses
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Beginning the process of restoring normal governance to the dioceses of Chile in the wake of a massive clerical sexual abuse and cover-up scandal, Pope Francis named archbishops for the archdioceses of Santiago and Puerto Montt.
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Mideast Catholic patriarchs pray for those suffering, appeal for dialogue
BEIRUT (CNS) -- Against a backdrop of anti-government protests in Iraq and Lebanon, at Christmas, Catholic patriarchs in the Middle East spoke of the continued suffering. From Baghdad, Cardinal Louis Sako, patriarch of Chaldean Catholics, called it "very sad" that Christmas comes "in such painful circumstances."
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