by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Aug 26, 2021 / 08:00 am Pope Francis on Thursday named Italian economist and Catholic religious sister Alessandra Smerilli as secretary of the Vatican’s social development office on an interim basis. Smerilli was appointed “ad interim” secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development …

by CNA Staff Warsaw, Poland, Aug 25, 2021 / 12:00 pm Poland’s Catholic bishops have appealed for solidarity with refugees amid rising tensions at the country’s border with Belarus. In an Aug. 22 statement, the bishops described the situation at the Poland-Belarus border as “disturbing.” “Recently, there has been a …

by Kate Scanlon Peoria, Ill., Aug 25, 2021 / 10:58 am Proponents of the beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen are still searching for answers about the cause, nearly two years after that process was paused. “I don’t know much,” Bishop Louis Tylka, Coadjutor Bishop of Peoria, told CNA in an …

by Joe Bukuras Washington D.C., Aug 24, 2021 / 13:01 pm After Catholics in the Cleveland diocese participated in a “Nine Nights of Night Prayer” initiative earlier this month, the diocese will hold a second round later this year. The event, which featured nine consecutive nights of night prayer at …

by Matt Hadro Orange, Calif., Aug 23, 2021 / 14:00 pm Eduardo Verastegui, the producer and star of the film “Bella,” on Saturday recalled a moment where he realized his movie helped save a life. Verastegui addressed the Aug. 21 gala of the pro-life group Live Action, held in Dana …

by Christine Rousselle Washington D.C., Aug 24, 2021 / 03:00 am As thousands try to escape a crisis in Afghanistan, Catholics could ask the intercession of a man who orchestrated the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship – Servant of God Marinus (Leonard) LaRue. LaRue, a merchant marine …

by Jose Torres Jr. Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug 24, 2021 / 10:03 am Catholics in Sri Lanka wore black and hoisted black flags on Saturday to show their indignation over what they see as the government’s failure to respond adequately the 2019 Easter Sunday attack on churches. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Aug 23, 2021 / 06:00 am Vandals have stolen a cross from the Catholic church in the Holy Land built on the site where tradition holds that Jesus performed the miracle of multiplying five loaves and two fishes to feed 5,000 people. Israeli police are …

by Kevin J. Jones Denver Newsroom, Aug 23, 2021 / 03:00 am U.S. President Joe Biden’s choice for ambassador to Switzerland is Scott Miller, a leading figure at the LGBT advocacy patron The Gill Foundation. The foundation has funded groups that have split Christian denominations and threatened religious freedom in …

by Courtney Mares Rome, Italy, Aug 20, 2021 / 10:34 am Proof of coronavirus vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test is now required for tourists who wish to visit the Duomo in Florence, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and many of Italy’s most famous Catholic cathedrals. Italy implemented earlier this …