Pope tells Rome priests: Blessings don’t affect sacrament of marriage December 22, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News The Vatican’s recently published guidance on administering blessings to same-sex couples or other unmarried couples does not affect the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage, Pope Francis said.
Prague archbishop expresses ‘deep sorrow’ after mass shooting at university December 22, 2023By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Gun Violence, News, World News Fourteen people were killed and another 25 injured in a Dec. 21 shooting at a university in Prague.
Brother Gallagher, who taught at St. Frances Academy, dies at 93 December 22, 2023By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Local News, News, Obituaries De La Salle Christian Brother Edward Gallagher, who taught at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore from 1987-1992 and 1999-2008, died Dec. 17. He was 93.
Catholic climate activists concerned COP28’s modest steps will fall short December 22, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Environment, Feature, News, World News Catholic climate advocates — responding to the urgent call of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudate Deum” (“Praise God”) for immediate and extraordinary changes to avert a climate crisis — are concerned that COP28’s outcomes, while promising, may become “too little, too late” if nations do not muster the resolve to implement them.
Despite difficult Christmas season in Bethlehem devoid of tourists, local Christians have hope December 21, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, World News Now, the streets of Bethlehem — normally filled with pilgrims at this time of the year — are empty, and many stores and restaurants dependent on tourism are closed.
Listening: It’s not a fast-paced game of ping pong, pope tells Curia December 21, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Officials of the Roman Curia must learn how to really listen to others, not treating a discussion as a game of “ping pong” where everything another says is met with a speedy and automatic response, Pope Francis said.
Good, hidden deeds are a service to the church, pope tells employees December 21, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Like God’s decision to be born in a manger tucked away from the world, good deeds done in silence can express God’s love wherever they are performed, Pope Francis said.
‘Beware of reading too much too quickly’ into same-sex blessings document, say global bishops December 21, 2023By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, World News While several Western European bishops praised the Dec. 18 declaration of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on blessing same-sex couples as “a major breakthrough in pastoral care,” reactions elsewhere have been mixed, with African bishops offering explainers for “confused” faithful or banning same-sex blessings.
Baltimore’s Black and Hispanic Catholic choirs inspire unity and joy December 21, 2023By Adriana Montes Catholic Review Filed Under: Arts & Culture, Black Catholic Ministry, Feature, Hispanic Ministry, Local News, News, Our Faith in Action The archdiocese introduced two distinctive ensembles, each representing significant communities and emphasizing unity among Catholics while celebrating the church’s rich diversity – the Black Catholic Mass Choir and the Hispanic/Latino Archdiocesan Choir.
Small fire at St. Mary in Annapolis won’t affect Christmas services December 20, 2023By Gerry Jackson Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News All is well at St. Mary Church in Annapolis after a small fire in the late morning of Dec. 20 caused minor damage to the second floor of the parish’s three-story rectory.
Monsignor FitzGerald, noted for ministry to seafarers, dies at 82 December 20, 2023By Kurt Jensen Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Bridge Collapse, Feature, Local News, News, Obituaries Monsignor John Louis FitzGerald, a Baltimore native and former military chaplain who in 2003 established Apostleship of the Sea, a worldwide ministry for seafarers, for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, died Dec. 16. He was 82.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul groups’ personal charity shows neighbors ‘this is Christmas’ December 20, 2023By Robert Alan Glover OSV News Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, World News A dedicated group of Catholic — and non-Catholic — volunteers is showing how the Christmas joy of helping the less fortunate lasts all year round.
