Pope tells priests: ‘Don’t ask too much’ during confession, forgive always March 8, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Lent, News, Vatican, World News Catholics should not be afraid to bear their sins before God whose mercy is a model for the church’s ministers, Pope Francis said.
Pope: Despite discouragement, church’s safeguarding efforts ‘must not wane’ March 7, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, News, Vatican, World News The Catholic Church should not be discouraged by the challenge of confronting sex abuse, Pope Francis said, rather it must take concrete steps in developing policies to preserve the dignity of its members.
Bishop near Rome decrees alleged Marian apparitions ‘not supernatural’ March 6, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Since 2016, Gisella Cardia has claimed to be seeing visions of the Virgin Mary in the central Italian town of Trevignano Romano, some 30 miles north of Rome, after bringing a statue of Mary with her from a trip to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which she said began to shed tears.
Pope, still recovering from illness, urges the prideful not to judge March 6, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis urged prideful people to recall one of Jesus’ moral commandments to “never judge.”
Pope calls for cease-fire in Gaza; calls disarmament ‘moral duty’ March 4, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Crisis in Israel, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis repeated his call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and said the international community has a “moral duty” to pursue disarmament worldwide.
Relationship with God should be intimate, not transactional, pope says March 4, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Just as Jesus drove out merchants from the temple in Jerusalem, Christians should cleanse themselves from a transactional relationship with God by developing an intimacy with him like that of a family in their home, Pope Francis said.
Papal preacher warns of rise in overly academic theology March 1, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Western theology risks becoming an abstract and rationalized conversation among academics rather than a tool for nourishing the faith of God’s people, the papal preacher said.
Vatican publishes full papal schedule for Holy Week, Easter February 29, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis’ calendar for Holy Week and Easter is just as full as in previous years despite a mild illness which has caused him to cancel meetings in the days leading up to the release of his liturgical calendar for March.
Pope proposes Lenten resolution: Keep your eyes on Jesus February 27, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News This Lent, Christians should become “seekers of light” by keeping their sights set on the light of Jesus through prayer and participating in the sacraments, Pope Francis said.
Vatican theme for World Day of Migrants and Refugees focuses on ‘journey’ February 26, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Immigration and Migration, News, World News The Catholic Church’s focus for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2024 highlights its need to walk alongside displaced persons and to convey to them God’s presence and guidance along their paths, the Vatican said.
Vatican aims to draw young ‘digital pilgrims’ to Rome’s papal basilicas February 25, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News, Youth Ministry The Vatican is seeking to draw pilgrims to the four historic papal basilicas scattered around Rome — not physically, but virtually, through a website and podcast aimed at drawing young people into the spiritual depth of Rome’s sacred spaces.
Caritas starts developing long-term aid program in Ukraine February 23, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Crisis in Ukraine, Feature, News, World News After two years of supporting communities throughout Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country, the Vatican-based charity confederation Caritas Internationalis is shifting to a long-term response plan to address the humanitarian fallout from the prolonged conflict in Ukraine.