Vatican says abortion, surrogacy, war, poverty are attacks on human dignity April 8, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, Vatican, World News Being a Christian means defending human dignity and that includes opposing abortion, the death penalty, gender transition surgery, war, sexual abuse and human trafficking, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said in a new document.
Pope marks 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s stigmata April 5, 2024By Cindy Wooden Filed Under: Feature, News, Saints, Vatican, World News The wounds of Christ’s passion and death and the stigmata given to some Christians over the centuries are reminders of “the pain Jesus suffered in his flesh out of love for us and for our salvation,” Pope Francis said.
Pontifical commission publishes universal safeguarding framework April 5, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, News, Vatican, World News The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has reaffirmed the requirement that every diocese, Catholic religious order and institution in the world have clear safeguarding guidelines and procedures and that they are publicly accessible.
Pope tells priests: Be icons of Christ, wipe tears like Veronica April 5, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, Vocations, World News Priests are called to be “a true icon of Jesus,” drawing closer to God the father by devoting their lives to the care of all God’s children, Pope Francis wrote.
Religions must counter war rhetoric with focus on peace, pope says April 4, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, News, Vatican, World News In a world filled with “bellicose rhetoric,” religious leaders must make extra efforts to speak of peace and to nurture every action and attitude that lessens tensions and increases dialogue, Pope Francis said.
Righteous people work for the good of all, pope says April 3, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Social Justice, Vatican, World News While giving each person his or her due is fundamental for justice, the virtue of justice is not concentrated on the individual in isolation but on ensuring the common good of all, Pope Francis said.
War is ‘folly,’ pope says as he leads prayers for Ukraine, Gaza April 3, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, Vatican, War in Ukraine, World News Pope Francis held up a well-thumbed, camouflage-covered pocket edition of the New Testament and Psalms and a small fabric pouch containing a rosary.
Pope prays people will experience, share Easter joy April 2, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Easter, News, Vatican, World News Like the women disciples who discovered Jesus had risen from the dead and ran to tell the others, Christians should be filled with such joy at Easter that they cannot help sharing it with others, Pope Francis said.
Easter marks the ‘rebirth of hope amid the ruins of failure,’ pope says March 30, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Easter, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Easter is a promise that no matter how dark the world may seem and no matter how heavy the burdens one carries, victory belongs to the Risen Christ and all who believe in him, Pope Francis said.
Tears flow as pope washes feet of women inmates at Rome prison March 29, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Lent, News, Vatican, World News The pope celebrated the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper March 28 at the women’s prison under a tent set up outside.
Pope says carrying the cross, Jesus asks, ‘Do you love me?’ March 28, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Lent, News, Vatican, World News As a statue of Jesus bearing his cross is carried through the streets of Sonsonate, El Salvador, on Good Friday, Pope Francis asked Catholics to respond to Jesus’ love with contemplation and a renewal of their love for God and for their needy neighbors.
Let ‘tears of repentance’ flow, pope tells priests at chrism Mass March 28, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Lent, News, Vatican, World News Presiding over the chrism Mass March 28 in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis ended his lengthy homily by thanking the priests present and, by extension, those around the world.