Pope at Christmas: Jesus’ birth brings hope in troubling times December 24, 2020By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The birth of Christ is a gift from God that brings people hope and courage in troubled times, Pope Francis said Christmas Eve.
Christmas ‘hijacked’ by consumerist mentality, pope says December 23, 2020By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News While Christmas has become a universal holiday, even for many nonbelievers, its celebration always should focus on the reality that God sent his son into the world to save humanity, Pope Francis said.
Two Vatican cardinals test positive for COVID-19; one hospitalized December 22, 2020By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Coronavirus, News, Vatican, World News Two top Vatican officials — Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello — have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Italian media reported, and a Vatican source confirmed.
Vatican: Without alternatives, current COVID-19 vaccines are morally acceptable December 21, 2020By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Coronavirus, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The Vatican’s doctrinal office said that when alternative vaccines are not available, it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines developed or tested using cell lines originating from aborted fetuses.
Christmas is sign of God’s preferential love for the poor, cardinal says December 18, 2020By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Reaching out to and helping the poor “is to imitate God; it is to make oneself small out of love in order to raise up the other,” the preacher of the papal household told Pope Francis, officials of the Roman Curia and Vatican employees.
Netflix to release series illustrating pope’s call for ‘alliance’ of young, old December 17, 2020By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Netflix has announced that in 2021 it will release a documentary series based on “Sharing the Wisdom of Time,” a book in which Pope Francis called for creating “an alliance between the young and old people” by sharing their stories.
After shipwreck, bishops denounce treatment of Venezuelan refugees December 15, 2020By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News After a boat carrying refugees was allegedly denied entry into Trinidad and Tobago and subsequently shipwrecked, Venezuelan bishops said the treatment of migrants fleeing the country constitutes a serious human rights violation.
Cause opens for Louisiana priests who sacrificed their lives in 1873 epidemic December 10, 2020By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Saints, Vatican, World News The sacrifice of five Catholic priests who gave their lives ministering to people in Shreveport during the 1873 yellow fever epidemic is memorialized in stained glass at Holy Trinity Church in downtown.
Pope proclaims year dedicated to St. Joseph December 8, 2020By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, Year of St. Joseph Marking the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph being declared patron of the universal church, Pope Francis proclaimed a yearlong celebration dedicated to the foster father of Jesus.
Cardinal Piacenza upholds ‘probable invalidity’ of confession by phone December 8, 2020By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Coronavirus, Divine Worship, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Even though the world is facing a pandemic that may limit many people’s ability to celebrate the sacraments, particularly those people who are in isolation, quarantining or hospitalized with COVID-19, confession by phone is still most likely invalid, said Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary.
Pope plans to visit Iraq in March December 7, 2020By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Pope Francis in Iraq, Vatican, World News Barring any obstacles caused by the global pandemic, Pope Francis is set to begin international travel again in 2021 by visiting Iraq in March, which would make him the first pope to visit this nation.
U.S. gives grant to Catholic groups helping poor cope with pandemic December 3, 2020By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Coronavirus, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The U.S. government’s foreign aid agency awarded thousands of dollars in assistance to two Rome-based Catholic organizations assisting the poor in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.
