Author Archive
After offering instruction, pope gives first Communion to 245 children
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden RAKOVSKI, Bulgaria (CNS) — In the Catholic heart of Bulgaria, Pope Francis celebrated a special Mass for 245 children receiving their first Communion and thanked them for helping him, their parents and grandparents remember their own first Communion. "Today you have made it …
Roses and the cross: Pope meets refugees in Bulgaria
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden SOFIA, Bulgaria (CNS) — Twelve boys and girls wearing white T-shirts and dark pants sang for Pope Francis at a refugee center on the outskirts of Sofia. Their songs were cheerful and the drawings they gave the pope were chock full of smiles …
Catholics, Orthodox must work to heal divisions, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden SOFIA, Bulgaria (CNS) — On the day Bulgarian Orthodox celebrate as "St. Thomas Sunday" and read the Gospel about the apostle asking to touch the wounds of the risen Lord, Pope Francis said the divisions within Christianity are "painful lacerations on the body …
Bread for the World leader prepares his exit after 27 years at the helm
IMAGE: CNS photo/Bob Roller By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Rev. David Beckmann is preparing to step aside as president of the Christian citizens anti-hunger lobby Bread for the World after 27 years. In fact, by the time a successor is chosen, it will be 28. Despite having his …
Respect rights of indigenous people, culture, pope tells mining industry
By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A "fallacious" economic model that exploits the earth’s resources while disregarding the rights and cultures of indigenous people has left the planet in a precarious condition and requires a change of heart that places the common good before financial gain, Pope Francis …
Church across street from Charlotte campus shooting prays for peace
IMAGE: CNS photo/SueAnn Howell, Catholic News Herald By CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CNS) — People gathered to pray at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte the day after a student opened fire April 30 in a classroom at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, which killed two people and wounded four others. "Our …
Fearful Venezuelan migrants find warm welcome from church in Brazil
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Jeffrey By Barbara Fraser PACARAIMA, Brazil (CNS) — The border between Venezuela and Brazil has been closed since Feb. 22, but hundreds of Venezuelan migrants still stream across daily, seeking refuge from a worsening political and economic crisis. They come from various parts of Venezuela, from the …
Holy boldness: Profile of women religious rising at Vatican
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican can move at a snail’s pace but looking back over the past six years, the profile of women, especially women religious, at Vatican events has risen sharply. The Roman Curia is not teeming with women leaders and …
Nations stirring up nationalism betray their mission, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Migrants are not a threat to a nation’s culture, traditions and values, Pope Francis said. Every nation is a product of immigration and the integration of diverse peoples, united by specific values, cultures and "healthy traditions," he said. That …
Church attacked by Maduro loyalists after Mass, Venezuelan bishop says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Ueslei Marcelino, Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While protests against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raged across the country, National Guard forces loyal to the embattled head of state launched tear gas at churchgoers attending Mass at a local parish. In a letter published May …