Wearing a mask at Mass is a small sacrifice pleasing to God, priest says January 3, 2022By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Coronavirus, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Wearing a high-filtering mask over one’s nose and mouth at Mass “is a small sacrifice we can bring to the altar as an offering pleasing to God for the good of all his children,” said Father Roberto Colombo, a geneticist and member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
On New Year’s, pope says a mature faith is realistic, but hope-filled January 1, 2022By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News As Catholics begin a new year contemplating the motherhood of Mary, they should be inspired not to let problems weaken their faith or prevent them from helping others grow, Pope Francis said.
Think of the Holy Family fleeing Herod and pray for migrants, pope says December 29, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, World News Meditating on the scene of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous rage, Christians cannot close their eyes to the fact that too many people in the world today also feel forced to flee their homelands, Pope Francis said.
Pope asks pontifical council to begin planning Holy Year 2025 December 28, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Preparations for the Holy Year 2025 have already begun, and Pope Francis has asked the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization to take charge of the efforts.
Even the Holy Family felt stress, pope tells families December 26, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on families, but with extra patience and faith, bonds can grow stronger, Pope Francis wrote in a letter released on the feast of the Holy Family.
Pope prays Christmas will bring yearning for peace, dialogue December 26, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Before giving his Christmas blessing to the city of Rome and to the world, Pope Francis drew attention to the many places around the globe and within human hearts in need of Jesus, the prince of peace.
September 2022 date set for beatification of John Paul I December 23, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis will beatify Pope John Paul I Sept. 4, 2022, at the Vatican, according to Stefania Falasca, a journalist and vice postulator of the late pope’s sainthood cause.
Pope to kids: Jesus loves you, wants you to love others December 20, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News At a rather formal meeting in the Apostolic Palace and a more relaxed one with balloons and silly hats in the Vatican audience hall, Pope Francis told children that Christmas is a sign of how much God loves them, and they are called to share that love.
Vatican answers questions on limits regarding pre-Vatican II Mass December 18, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Responding to 11 questions it said had been raised about Pope Francis’ document restricting celebrations of the pre-Vatican II Mass, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments offered a few concessions to bishops but insisted the entire Latin-rite Catholic Church must move toward celebrating only one form of the Mass and sacraments.
Pope welcomes first group of asylum-seekers from Cyprus December 18, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News With many “thanks” and “best wishes,” a group of 10 asylum-seekers greeted Pope Francis on his birthday Dec. 17.
Dialogue group calls for Catholic recognition of Anglican ordinations December 16, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, World News A group of Catholic and Anglican theologians has publicly called on the Vatican to review and overturn a papal document from 1896 that declared Anglican ordinations “absolutely null and utterly void.”
Vatican releases text for installing catechists, explains ministry December 13, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Evangelization, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Catholic men and women formally installed in the new ministry of catechists are not simply religious education teachers but are engaged in “the proclamation and transmission of the faith, carrying out this role in collaboration with the ordained ministers and under their guidance,” said a letter accompanying the Latin text of the Rite of Institution of Catechists.