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US bishops cancel Spring Assembly due to coronavirus

Washington D.C., Apr 8, 2020 / 01:30 pm (CNA).- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has canceled its Spring General Assembly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The assembly, one of the two annual gatherings of the bishops of the United States, was scheduled to be held June 10-12 …
‘Prayer has been the great source of strength to me’: Cardinal Pell looks forward to Easter

by Ed Condon Washington D.C., Apr 7, 2020 / 08:54 am (CNA).- After more than 14 months in prison, Cardinal George Pell said he was always hopeful about the High Court decision which acquitted him of all charges and released him from incarceration on April 7. Shortly after his release …
Jerusalem archbishop blesses city with True Cross relic

CNA Staff, Apr 6, 2020 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- Unable to lead the traditional Palm Sunday procession through Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, blessed the city with a relic of the True Cross on April 5. The annual procession, which recalls Christ’s …
Raphael revisited: Vatican offers virtual tour 500 years after artist’s death

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Apr 6, 2020 / 12:10 pm (CNA).- Monday, April 6 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael, the Renaissance painter responsible for “The School of Athens” and “The Transfiguration.” While the Vatican Museums was due to unveil the last phase of restoration of …
Turin Shroud to be displayed via livestream on Holy Saturday amid pandemic

Turin, Italy, Apr 6, 2020 / 04:00 am (CNA).- Catholics around the world will be invited to pray virtually before the Turin Shroud on Holy Saturday as the world struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Church officials have said. The Shroud, which bears the image of a crucified man and …
Archbishop Fulton Sheen was more than the man on television, 92-year-old niece says

By Kevin Jones Denver, Colo., Apr 5, 2020 / 12:35 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s niece has recounted her view of the famous Catholic television personality and author in a new book that aims to show his Christian devotion and his deep concern for the poor, even as he engaged …
Pope Francis on Palm Sunday: Let us stand before the crucifix in our homes

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Apr 5, 2020 / 05:00 am (CNA).- On Palm Sunday, Pope Francis offered Mass in a nearly empty St. Peter’s Basilica and urged Catholics quarantined at home to remember “what really matters” in life: loving God and serving others. “The tragedy we are experiencing summons …
US bishops: Jesus’ Sacred Heart is open for you, despite ‘bitter affliction’ of coronavirus

Washington D.C., Apr 4, 2020 / 01:22 pm (CNA).- The novel coronavirus pandemic’s effects on victims and the closure of churches have deeply pained the Catholic faithful and clergy, but Holy Week is a time to join together to seek God’s mercy and love in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, …
John Paul II embraced his suffering with love: Cardinal reflects 15 years after saint’s death

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Apr 2, 2020 / 11:00 am (CNA).- Pope St. John Paul II embraced suffering with love, even during his illness, a cardinal and the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica said on the 15th anniversary of the saint’s death. The spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and …
Vatican authorizes special Masses and Good Friday prayers for coronavirus pandemic

Vatican City, Apr 1, 2020 / 12:01 pm (CNA).- The Vatican has asked priests around the world to recite a new prayer during this year’s Good Friday liturgy, and urged them to offer Masses for the end of the coronavirus pandemic. The Congregation for Divine Worship issued the new intention …