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Roman priest offers Easter Mass on church roof amid coronavirus

by Hannah Brockhaus Rome, Italy, Apr 14, 2020 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- A pastor at a church in Rome offered Easter Mass from the roof of the church so nearby parishioners could participate from their balconies and windows during the coronavirus lockdown in Italy. Making the Mass visible in this …
Brooklyn priest named bishop of Paterson, New Jersey diocese

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Apr 15, 2020 / 07:25 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Wednesday accepted the resignation of Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli, appointing Brooklyn pastor Fr. Kevin J. Sweeney to be his successor as head of the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey. Serratelli has been bishop of Paterson since …
One year after the fire, a French priest’s tribute to Notre-Dame

by Courtney Mares Paris, France, Apr 14, 2020 / 11:01 pm (CNA).- For Fr. Pierre Amar, Notre-Dame de Paris has always been a masterpiece, “the very example of supreme beauty,” but now the Marian cathedral is also “a great burnt victim.” One year after the fire destroyed much of the …
Justice Department to act on unfair religious restrictions during coronavirus

Washington D.C., Apr 14, 2020 / 11:10 am (CNA).- The Justice Department (DOJ) has promised to act on any abuses of religious freedom after some state and local governments sought to enforce tough restrictions on Easter services during the coronavirus pandemic. On Saturday, DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec tweeted that Attorney …
Pope proposes considering a ‘universal basic wage’

Vatican City, Apr 12, 2020 / 06:15 pm (CNA).- In an Easter letter to members of popular movements and organizations, Pope Francis suggested that the coronavirus crisis may be an occasion to consider a universal basic wage. “I know that you have been excluded from the benefits of globalization,” he …
Why Christians believe in resurrection, not reincarnation

by Mary Farrow Denver, Colo., Apr 12, 2020 / 01:01 pm (CNA).- Every time Christians recite the Apostles’ Creed, they affirm their belief in what will happen to them after death: “’I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” The belief in the resurrection of one’s physical …
Pope welcomes Turin Shroud livestream for those ‘harshly tried by pandemic’

Vatican City, Apr 11, 2020 / 04:00 am (CNA).- Pope Francis has praised the decision to livestream the exposition of the Turin Shroud on Holy Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Archdiocese of Turin has invited Catholics around the world to pray virtually before the Shroud at 5pm local time …
Beauty, drama and pinpoint silence: Easter Triduum memories from Rome

by Hannah Brockhaus Rome, Italy, Apr 11, 2020 / 09:00 am (CNA).- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Easter Triduum is looking very different for Catholics around the world, who will be praying from home and attending liturgies only through their TV or computer screens. The situation is no …
How Catholics can be inspired by art during Holy Week

by Perry West Denver, Colo., Apr 9, 2020 / 02:01 pm (CNA).- As churches and museums remain closed, Catholic artists have encouraged people to be inspired this Holy Week by finding beauty online or even attempting to create projects themselves. Andrew Julo is the director and curator for the Verostko …
‘It’s a trauma for our children’: How the pandemic is impacting foster kids

by Mary Farrow Denver, Colo., Apr 9, 2020 / 04:30 am (CNA).- Foster care is a difficult business in the best of times. Social workers must ensure that children in need are given loving and safe homes, while trying to help them maintain contact and a relationship with their biological …