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Catholic News Agency
Amoris Laetitia Family Year: A CNA Explainer

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Mar 19, 2021 / 06:00 am MT (CNA).- At the end of December, Pope Francis announced that on March 19, the Catholic Church would begin a special year dedicated to deepening pastoral outreach to families, based on his 2016 apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia. Here’s a …
Relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis brought to Poland in hope of inspiring young Catholics

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Mar 17, 2021 / 05:00 pm MT (CNA).- Relics of Carlo Acutis can now be found in a cathedral in Poland thanks to the initiative of a youth chaplain. Fr. Adrian Sadowski, the diocesan youth chaplain for the Diocese of Ełk in northeast Poland, was …
White House claims that Pope Francis approved the ‘efficacy’ of COVID vaccines

Washington D.C., Mar 18, 2021 / 08:38 am MT (CNA).- The White House on Wednesday claimed that Pope Francis has affirmed “the safety and efficacy” of the three COVID vaccines approved for use in the U.S. However, the latest statement of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith …
The Year of St. Joseph: What Catholics need to know

CNA Staff, Dec 10, 2020 / 05:46 pm MT (CNA).- On Tuesday, Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church. Pope Francis said he was establishing the year so that “every member of the …
A Catholic guide to March Madness 2021

by Christine Rousselle Washington D.C., Mar 17, 2021 / 04:00 am MT (CNA).- Last year, the official NCAA Basketball tournament–”March Madness”–was canceled and replaced by a decidedly less fun March “madness” of shopping for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and other pandemic supplies. But the real March Madness is back–finally. And …
EWTN to premiere documentary on pro-life icon Joe Scheidler

CNA Staff, Mar 16, 2021 / 07:19 pm MT (CNA).- A Catholic, non-profit law firm has released a documentary highlighting the influence of pro-life leader Joe Scheidler and his journey to the Supreme Court. “Fighting for Life: The Story of NOW v. Scheidler” depicts a nearly three-decade-long legal battle for …
Achel no longer a Trappist beer, after last monks depart abbey

Hasselt, Belgium, Mar 16, 2021 / 08:01 pm MT (CNA).- After the last monks left Achel Abbey earlier this year, the beers produced at Achel Brewery no longer bear the Trappist label. In the beginning of January, there were 14 authentic Trappist beer brands. By the end of the month, …
How a forgotten nun’s visions shed ‘new light’ on the life of St. Joseph

by Courtney Mares CNA Staff, Mar 16, 2021 / 05:00 am MT (CNA).- St. Joseph does not have any words recorded in Sacred Scripture, but the published meditations of an 18th-century Italian nun offer the chance to imagine the details of the Holy Family’s daily life as it might have …
Vatican’s doctrinal office: Catholic Church cannot give blessings to same-sex unions

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Mar 15, 2021 / 05:22 am MT (CNA).- The Vatican’s doctrinal office on Monday clarified that the Catholic Church does not have the power to give liturgical blessings of homosexual unions. Answering the question “does the Church have the power to give the blessing to …
Annual Fatima pilgrimage to be virtual due to pandemic

Fatima, Portugal, Mar 13, 2021 / 04:01 pm MT (CNA).- The Bishop of Leiria-Fátima, António Cardinal dos Santos Marto, announced that the 2021 pilgrimage to Fatima will take place virtually due to existing restrictions in Portugal because of the coronavirus pandemic. The cardinal encouraged the faithful to make a spiritual …