Pope celebrates 87th birthday with children of families in need December 18, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News With song, cake and circus performers, Pope Francis celebrated his 87th birthday in festive style at the Vatican.
Gay couples can be blessed by priest if it isn’t a formal liturgical blessing December 18, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News A Catholic priest can bless a gay or other unmarried couple as long as it is not a formal liturgical blessing and does not give the impression that the Catholic Church is blessing the union as if it were a marriage, the Vatican doctrinal office said.
Cardinal Becciu, five others sentenced to prison at Vatican trial December 18, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News The Vatican City State criminal court sentenced Cardinal Angelo Becciu to five years and six months in prison on two counts of embezzlement and one of aggravated fraud but found him not guilty of abuse of office or witness tampering.
Celebrating the Incarnation, remember Bethlehem, too, pope says December 18, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News When St. Francis of Assisi staged the first Nativity scene 800 years ago, he did so to remind people of the powerful, awe-inspiring truth that God became human in Jesus, Pope Francis said.
Pope condemns targeting of unarmed civilians in Gaza December 18, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis condemned the Israeli military’s killing of two Christian women sheltering at a Catholic parish in Gaza and an attack on a convent, noting that in the current fighting “unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire.”
Analysis: U.S. Catholics’ priest shortage faces new ‘serious crisis’ due to immigration law December 18, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Immigration and Migration, News, Vocations, World News In a particularly unwelcome revelation for American Catholics, the federal government announced that same month in a Federal Register notice a procedural change in how it processes green cards for foreign-born religious workers.
Ukraine’s war-torn Christians look ahead to first Christmas shared with West December 17, 2023By Jonathan Luxmoore OSV News Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, War in Ukraine, World News When Ukraine’s embattled citizens gather this Christmas, their rich festivities will feel symbolically different — as the festival is celebrated for the first time on Dec. 25, in line with the Western calendar.
Holy Spirit ‘propels us’ out of comfort zone, says synod’s spiritual adviser December 17, 2023By Sean Gallagher OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, World News Some people came to the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican in October “with the hope that it would bring dramatic change to the life of the church,” Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe said in a talk in Indianapolis Dec. 6. “Other people hoped it would exactly change nothing.”
Backed by Catholic clergy, Buffalo Bills chaplain provides rare full-time pastoral care December 17, 2023By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Sports, World News Now in his seventh season as the Buffalo Bills’ team chaplain, Vanden Bos is a rare breed in the NFL: He is a full-time chaplain.
Having child out of wedlock does not bar access to sacraments, Vatican says December 16, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, Vatican, World News Women who have conceived a child out of wedlock and have the courage to choose life for their baby “should be encouraged to have access to the healing and consoling power of the sacraments,” said the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
At Christmas, God remains with us through war and poverty, pope says December 15, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The Christmas season is a reminder to Christians that despite hardships, God chose to join himself to humanity and still remains by its side, Pope Francis said.
Jesus helps sinners by welcoming, not banishing them, papal preacher says December 15, 2023By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Advent, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Jesus does not wait for sinners to change their lives before he welcomes them, said the preacher of the papal household.
