IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Confronting and not giving in to bitterness helps priests realize that they are not all-powerful beings but sinners who have been forgiven and called by God, Pope Francis said. Bitterness is "a subtle enemy" that hides and "robs …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis did not attend a traditional penitential service with priests of the Diocese of Rome due to a mild cold, the Vatican said. In a statement Feb. 27, Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves ROME (CNS) — Ashes not only symbolize humanity’s frail mortality but are also a reminder of God’s infinite love of people, whom he created from dust, Pope Francis said. While men and women are just "dust in the universe" compared to the …

By WASHINGTON (CNS) — By blocking two pro-life bills from going to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a vote, senators "failed to advance two critical human rights reforms that most Americans strongly support," the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee said late Feb. 25. Earlier that day, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Lent is a time to remove all distractions and bitterness from one’s life in order to better hear God and those who suffer silently and need help, Pope Francis said. "It is the right time to turn off the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Melissa Moon, Detroit Catholic By Michael Stechschulte DETROIT (CNS) — There’s no such thing as the perfect Catholic family. Days of joy, celebration and happiness can be followed by challenges, heartbreak and, at times, chaos brought on by contemporary hectic lifestyles. At their best, however, Father Stephen Pullis, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Pontifical Academy for Life has invited the leaders of Microsoft and IBM — two of the world’s leading developers of AI software — to sign a charter calling for an ethical framework and guidelines for the field of …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The most important members of the Catholic Church are not the ones who hold lofty titles and high positions but rather those who humbly serve others, Pope Francis said. "Who is the most important person in the church? …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Flavio Lo Scalzo, Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the biggest two days of celebration and costume parades left, the famous pre-Lenten “Carnevale” of Venice was canceled as were Ash Wednesday services and even funeral Masses throughout the diocese. The Archdiocese of Milan also issued …

IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Becket Religious Liberty for All By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — The U.S. Supreme Court announced Feb. 24 that in its next term it will examine if the city of Philadelphia can exclude a Catholic social services agency from the city’s foster care program because the agency …