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October 2013

October 23

Pope authorizes leave of absence for German 'luxury bishop'

October 23, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has authorized a leave of absence for a German bishop at the centre of controversy over expenditures for his residence and diocesan centre.

October 24

Christians, Jews must fight discrimination together, pope says

October 24, 2013

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Christians and Jews must work together to fight all forms of discrimination and persecution, Pope Francis told a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Advice to royal parents: Pray, talk to the prince about Jesus

October 24, 2013

LONDON (CNS) - The leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion told the parents of the future British king to "make sure he knows who Jesus is."

Illuminating the Word of God

October 24, 2013

TORONTO - Often it is said that the devil is in the detail, but with the illuminated St. John’s Bible it is God’s Word in the detail.

Notre Dame Sisters’ presence still strong, and needed, in El Salvador

October 24, 2013

There was a time in El Salvador when Sr. Jeannette Bolduc and Sr. Amabilis Deveau used to carefully scan a bus before they got on board. If there was a soldier on the bus, they would wait for the next one.

Greening of the Jesuits

October 24, 2013

Jesuits take their vow of poverty seriously, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need money. It just means they spend it on things that will help them work harder, longer and better on the spiritual well-being of everybody else.

October 25

Theology at a bar near you

October 25, 2013

Toronto - Faith Connections is expanding its Theology on Tap series to meet the growing needs of the young and faithful in the Toronto area.

Halloween 4 Hunger aims high

October 25, 2013

It’s no trick that students at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, Ont., aren’t looking for treats this Halloween. Instead, they want non-perishable food items so they can surpass a half-million pounds of food collected since the school’s first Halloween 4 Hunger campaign began in 2000.

So you think pornography is harmless?

October 25, 2013

Finding pornography on the Internet is as easy as finding hay in a haystack. Finding studies, articles and research on this topic? Not as common, but certainly available.

Power of persistence

October 25, 2013

Heading home on the train one Tuesday night, I noticed a large flying insect trying to climb up the wall, but it kept falling down. It seemed injured and very weak, twitching incessantly. It would, however, not give up, climbing up and falling down dozens of times.

Vatican secretary of state released from hospital

October 25, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Ten days after he took office as Vatican secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin was released from the hospital Oct. 25, following surgery for an unspecified illness.

Sexual revolution on New York streets

October 25, 2013

NEW YORK - Fifth Avenue is the world’s main street, a gentle stroll taking you from the Empire State Building at 34th Street to the New York public library at 42nd Street, or from FAO Schwartz, the toy store for all ages, at 59th Street, to the magnificent Frick Gallery at 71st Street. Then there is the Queen of Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which Cardinal Timothy Dolan likes to call “America’s parish church.”

Halloween lessons to be learned from Europe

October 25, 2013

The roots of our Halloween traditions may lie in Europe, but in Europe Halloween is regarded as an American import. Nothing says American Halloween like a big toothy jack o’lantern, and the paper pumpkins that are decorating the tourist bars of Kraków are a testament to globalization.

Technology sure has a hold on us

October 25, 2013

The other day, I lost my so-called smartphone. It was kind of dumb of me. But the episode set off a range of emotions; from the pit-in-my-stomach initial feeling to panic and stress at figuring out what to do next, including a little prayer to St. Anthony, to contentment realizing life without that digital albatross around my neck actually feels pretty good.

October 26

Vatican's media adviser offers 'Top 10' ways to understand Pope Francis

October 26, 2013

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - No matter how some media may want to spin it, Pope Francis won't fit into the political categories of left or right, and he will challenge everyone with the truth of the Gospel, said the Vatican's media adviser.

October 27

Precious Blood Brothers’ Tanzanian project builds wells and educates youth

October 27, 2013

TORONTO - It took drilling wells for more than four decades before Br. Anthony Canterucci realized that clean water wasn’t what the people of Tanzania needed most. So now he is building schools.

October 28

Who are the Laity?

October 28, 2013

Before Vatican II, the laity served a passive role in the Church behind ordained religious figures such as priests, sisters and brothers. But post-Vatican II much has changed. As recounted in the book The Many Marks of the Church, in response to a dismissive, rhetorical question “The Laity? Who are they?” posed by a Vatican official, John Henry Newman replied, “The Church would look rather silly without them.”

Gagnon to replace Weisgerber as Winnipeg archbishop

October 28, 2013

Pope Francis has named Victoria, B.C., Bishop Richard Gagnon as the new archbishop of Winnipeg to replace Archbishop James Weisgerber.

October 29

COLF, EPC send out urgent calls to oppose Quebec euthanasia bill

October 29, 2013

OTTAWA - As Quebec’s euthanasia Bill-52 faces its first vote today, the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) and the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) put out urgent calls to oppose the bill.

October 30

In times of trouble, Pope says, call on the communion of saints

October 30, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Trials and doubts are part of everyone's faith journey, "even mine," Pope Francis said, but Christians know they can get through the hard times with help from God, other Christians and those in heaven.