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Violence against women is a ‘scourge,’ pope says
Violence against women is “a social scourge that is also linked to cultural attitudes, ingrained mentalities and prejudices,” so education, prevention and swifter justice are needed to end it, Pope Francis said.
Advent watching includes noticing God at work in daily life, pope says
Being so distracted that one does not notice God’s presence in daily life is a warning sign that one is not being vigilant enough, Pope Francis cautioned.
Nine months after Russia began war, pope writes to Ukrainians
Nine months after Russia launched its war on Ukraine, Pope Francis wrote to the Ukrainian people expressing his admiration for their courage and commitment to their country in the face of so much death and destruction.
As pot legalization expands, concern about its effects grows, says watchdog
Residents of Maryland and Missouri that voted during the midterms to approve recreational marijuana use must closely monitor the local regulatory details and local impacts on youth, according to a national watchdog group.
State Supreme Court reinstates Georgia’s six-week ban on abortions
The Supreme Court of Georgia Nov. 23 reinstated a law that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is about six weeks into a pregnancy.
Bishop decries second spate of gun fatalities in over a week in Virginia
Just ahead of Thanksgiving Day, “a time where we celebrate what we are most grateful for in our lives,” the nation awoke Nov. 23 “to the somber and agonizing news of more souls lost because of a senseless act of violence” at a Walmart in Chesapeake, said Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia.
Priest calls serving alongside military members as Army chaplain ‘humbling’
As much as Father Lukasz J. Willenberg misses being part of a regular parish family back home in the Diocese of Providence, ministering to members of the U.S. Army as a military chaplain for the past eight years has brought him an unparalleled level of joy.
Pope remembers victims of Soviet-made famine in Ukraine, prays for peace
Praying for peace in Ukraine, Pope Francis remembered both the victims of Russia’s current aggression and the millions of victims of a Soviet-engineered famine 90 years ago.
Pope: Spiritual consolation is deep joy that motivates one to ‘do good’
The spiritual practice of discernment, of seeing where God is at work in one’s life and what God is calling one to do, includes examining what brings a sense of consolation and spurs one to do good, Pope Francis said.
Idaho parish mourns deaths of students, prays for families, community
In the days since four University of Idaho students were found brutally slain Nov. 14, the Catholic parish that serves the university and the community of Moscow, Idaho, is mourning with and praying for the victims, their families and friends, and the wider community, said the pastor.