Author Archive
Pope offers red hat to priest whose story moved him to tears
IMAGE: CNS photo/Massimiliano Migliorato, Catholic Press Photo By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The story of how an Albanian priest endured decades of imprisonment, torture and forced labor during his country’s communist crackdown against the church brought Pope Francis to tears. During the pope’s 2014 visit to Tirana, Cardinal-designate …
Aid slowly makes its way to thousands of Haitians displaced by hurricane
IMAGE: CNS photo/Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters By Dennis Sadowski WASHINGTON (CNS) — Emergency aid slowly began to reach some of the thousands of Haitians displaced by Hurricane Matthew in the country’s picturesque southwest as reports of casualties slowly trickled in from communities cut off by the storm. The number of …
New York cardinal announces new compensation program for abuse survivors
By John Woods NEW YORK (CNS) — The Archdiocese of New York has initiated a voluntary Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program to promote healing and serve as a “tangible sign of the church’s outreach and reparation” by providing compensation to victim-survivors of sexual abuse as minors by clergy of the …
Hyde Amendment has a bipartisan past but a cloudy future
By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — Most people who keep an eye on life issues know the shorthand about the Hyde Amendment — that it bars the federal government from funding abortions through Medicaid. But the amendment does more than that — although not everything pro-lifers may wish it could …
Where policy, religion fail, sports can lift spirits, say speakers
IMAGE: CNS photo/Ettore Ferrari, EPA By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Wherever public policy, communities and even religions may have failed, sports and recreation are ready and set to lift wounded spirits and build cooperation and peace in the world, said a number of speakers at a Vatican conference. …
As his film debuts, Wahlberg finds time to praise priesthood in video
IMAGE: CNS photo/Giorgio Onorati, EPA By Rhina Guidos WASHINGTON (CNS) — Typically, the Facebook page for the Diocese of Providence Office of Vocations in Rhode Island gets anywhere from 3 to 40 likes on their posts — most which celebrate seminarians, priests and their ministry. But it took an actor …
Hurricane response in Haiti slowed by blocked roads, floods, power outages
IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Malteser International By Dennis Sadowski WASHINGTON (CNS) — Haitian first responders and nongovernmental aid workers were assessing the damage from Hurricane Matthew even as they scrambled to deliver food, water and shelter materials to communities isolated by washed-out bridges and blocked roads. The storm left southwestern Haiti …
Bishops elevate popular Alaskan retreat to national shrine
IMAGE: CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec By Nancy Wiechec PHOENIX (CNS) — A popular Alaskan retreat has been designated a national shrine by the U.S. bishops. Bishop Edward J. Burns of Juneau, Alaska, announced the news on the Oct. 1 feast of St. Therese Lisieux, the patroness of Alaska after whom the …
Walking the talk: Catholics, Anglicans work together as they seek unity
IMAGE: CNS/Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — If Christians are called to live their faith concretely, then they cannot leave out concrete signs of the unity to which Jesus calls them. And just because the formal Anglican-Roman Catholic theological dialogue has been forced to grapple with new church-dividing …
Pope: Church’s mission is to attract people to Christ, not proselytize
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians are called to follow the example of St. Therese of Lisieux, who helped draw people to Jesus by way of attraction, not by proselytizing, Pope Francis said. She was a reminder that an authentic witness is proclaimed through …