With the help of a woman Anglican bishop, a Salesian sister and a consecrated virgin, Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals devoted the first morning of their February meeting “to deepening their reflection, begun last December, on the role of women in the church,” the Vatican press office said.
Pope, in letter to Jews in Israel, condemns antisemitism as a sin
In a letter addressed to “my Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel,” Pope Francis expressed his heartbreak at the violence unleashed by the Hamas attack on Israel in October and he repeated the Catholic Church’s condemnation of all forms of antisemitism and anti-Judaism.
Changing words in sacraments can make them invalid, dicastery warns
When a priest or other minister changes the words, gestures or material prescribed for the celebration of the sacraments, he can “rob” the faithful of what they deserve and make the sacrament invalid, the dicastery said in a note published Feb. 3.
Catholic, Anglican bishops vow to support one another, work together
As Catholics and Anglicans pray and work for the day when they can celebrate the Eucharist together, they are called to support one another in situations of suffering, apologize together for times when they have sinned and work together to share the good news of God’s love, said bishops from both communities.
Vatican opens registration for May celebration of World Children’s Day
Although the Vatican knows most of the children who will come to Rome May 25-26 for the first World Children’s Day will be Italians, Pope Francis hopes local celebrations also will take place so that the whole Catholic Church can experience their joy and will show them the beauty of gathering with other believers, a cardinal said.
Children from Gaza arrive in Rome for medical treatment
Ten children from Gaza in need of medical attention arrived in Rome on a military plane late Jan. 29, the first group of young patients who will receive treatment in Italy thanks to the lobbying of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land and negotiations involving the governments of Italy, Israel, Palestine and Egypt.
Catholic communicators must help people overcome divisions, pope says
A television or radio network that calls itself Catholic must help people overcome their prejudices, seek the truth with charity and build bridges between people, Pope Francis said.
Pope says document on blessings makes clear that the Gospel is for all
Making a list of which sinners are welcome in the church and which sinners are not goes against the teaching of the Gospel, Pope Francis told an Italian newspaper.
Blessings are signs of church’s closeness, pope says
Pope Francis again insisted that an informal blessing of a gay or other unmarried couple is not a blessing of their union but a sign of the Catholic Church’s closeness to them and its hope that they will grow in faith.
Love is the only path to Christian unity, pope says
Divided Christians will draw closer to one another only by loving God and loving their neighbors, serving one another and not pointing fingers in blame for past faults, Pope Francis said.
Anglican, Catholic bishops travel, pray, work together
Acknowledging that many of the bishops present live in situations of poverty and strife, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion told Catholic and Anglican bishops that they had a responsibility to work together to preach the Gospel and to bring hope and healing to the world.
Catholic universities must be more than a business, pope says
Respect for the dignity of every person and for his or her values is as much a part of the identity of a Catholic university as faith is, Pope Francis said.