Blessings are signs of church’s closeness, pope says January 26, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News 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.
Holy Spirit creates harmony, pope tells ecumenical dialogue commission January 26, 2024By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Seeing young people involved in ecumenical initiatives is a sign of the Holy Spirit at work, Pope Francis said.
More ‘nuanced nones’ challenge parishes to become more outward facing, says evangelization expert January 26, 2024By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Evangelization, Feature, News, World News “Religious ‘Nones’ in America: Who They Are and What They Believe,” released Jan. 24 by Pew Research Center, found that about 28 percent of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated.
New gender law takes effect in April after Ohio lawmakers override DeWine’s veto January 26, 2024By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News Ohio lawmakers voted Jan. 24 to override Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s recent veto of legislation that bans certain types of medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender and also prohibits athletes from competing on sports teams corresponding with their self-perceived gender identity opposite their biological sex.
Love is the only path to Christian unity, pope says January 26, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, Vatican, World News 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.
Pope: Remembering the Holocaust reminds people hatred is never justified January 26, 2024By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, Vatican, War in Ukraine, World News Pope Francis highlighted the importance of remembering and condemning the horror of the Holocaust, underlining that hatred and violence can never be justified.
Two years into war, Knights of Columbus steadfast in Ukraine on front lines of aid January 25, 2024By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Knights of Columbus, News, War in Ukraine, World News As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reaches the two-year mark, the Knights of Columbus remain steadfast in bringing relief to vulnerable Ukrainians living in some of the hardest-hit areas, one of the organization’s leaders told OSV News.
Pope tells judges at Vatican-based tribunal that prayer is essential January 25, 2024By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News A tribunal judge for the Catholic Church must have a rich prayer life, if not, he should quit, Pope Francis said.
Anglican, Catholic bishops travel, pray, work together January 25, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, Vatican, World News 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.
Supreme Court OKs Alabama’s first nitrogen gas execution decried by faith leaders January 25, 2024By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Respect Life, World News The Supreme Court Jan. 24 rejected an appeal by death-row inmate Kenneth Smith, whose planned execution by the state of Alabama — the first known execution by nitrogen gas — was openly decried by more than 100 Alabama faith leaders just days earlier.
‘We give thanks to God!’ says Haiti archbishop as six nuns are freed from captivity January 25, 2024By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, World News The six nuns kidnapped in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 19 have been freed, and the archbishop of the capital was overjoyed and thankful at the news.
Boston Archdiocese to lower confirmation age to eighth grade January 25, 2024By Wes Cipolla OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, World News, Worship & Sacraments Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley has approved a proposal that would lower the age of confirmation within the Archdiocese of Boston from 10th grade to eighth grade.
