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Catholic News Agency

Catholic News Agency

Founded in continued response to Pope John Paul II’s call for a “New Evangelization,” the Catholic News Agency (CNA) has been, since 2004, one of the fastest growing Catholic news providers to the English speaking world.

Pope Francis gives his Angelus address Jan. 1, 2020. Credit: Pablo Esparza/CNA
By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 1, 2020 / 06:00 am (CNA).- Pope Francis apologized Wednesday for losing his patience with a woman who grabbed his arm in St. Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve. “Many times we lose our patience; me too. I apologize for yesterday’s bad example,” Pope …

Sr. Mary Gianna Thornby, DLJC. Courtesy Photo.
By Jonah McKeown Denver, Colo., Dec 30, 2019 / 07:01 am (CNA).- Many years before she entered religious life, Sister Mary Gianna Thornby was an ordinary high school sophomore at Columbine High School in the suburbs of Denver. Like many high schoolers, she occasionally struggled with her identity, had experienced …

Pope Francis greets families of Vatican City employees Dec. 21, 2017. Credit: Vatican Media
By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Dec 29, 2019 / 05:30 am (CNA).- On the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth Sunday, Pope Francis encouraged families to get off their cell phones and talk to one another. “In your family, do you know how to communicate with each other, or …

Orthodox Jewish couple. Stock photo via Shutterstock
New York City, N.Y., Dec 29, 2019 / 04:02 pm (CNA).- On Sunday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York condemned the recent spate of attacks against Jewish people in New York, following a stabbing that left five people injured during a Hanukkah celebration at a rabbi’s home on Saturday night. …

By Mary Farrow Washington D.C., Dec 27, 2019 / 02:55 am (CNA).- Cutting ties with old flames, before the internet, used to be easy. After a break-up, people could easily lose touch with their ex, who could move or change phone numbers. Tracking them down, sans Google or social media, …

Anthony Ascolese, with his confirmation sponsor Jeremy Moore. Courtesy photo
By Perry West Denver, Colo., Dec 23, 2019 / 07:00 pm (CNA).- The phenomenon is well-documented. When young Catholics go away to college, a troublingly high percentage of them stop practicing their faith. And many who stop going to Mass in college never return. Initiatives like FOCUS, and Newman Centers …

Notre-Dame de Paris shortly after a fire damaged parts of the roof and structure. Credit: UlyssePixel/Shutterstock
By Christine Rousselle Paris, France, Dec 27, 2019 / 09:12 am (CNA).- This year Christmas Mass was not celebrated at Notre-Dame de Paris for the first time since the French First Republic, and the cathedral’s rector says that there is a significant chance the building cannot be rebuilt safely. The …

By Perry West Lexington, Ky., Dec 24, 2019 / 03:12 pm (CNA).- A Kentucky diocese is leasing a tenantless building to a Catholic charity to create a holistic recovery program for people in the area struggling with drug addictions. “It’s an exciting possibility,” said Jenny Ramsay, co-founder and director of …

Pope Francis uncovers the Child Jesus in St. Peter's Basilica Dec. 24, 2019. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Dec 24, 2019 / 02:21 pm (CNA).- A person’s weakness and sin does not change Christ’s love for them, and Catholics should strive to treat others the same way, serving anyone and not only those they consider worthy, Pope Francis said on Christmas Eve. “God …

Pope Francis gives the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the center loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 25, 2019. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Dec 25, 2019 / 05:30 am (CNA).- On Christmas, Pope Francis prayed for Christ to bring light to the instability in Iraq, Lebanon, Venezuela, Yemen, Ukraine, Burkina Faso, and other parts of the world experiencing conflict. “The Son is born, like a small light flickering …