Browse › 2014 › August

August 2014

August 18

Pope Francis tells Asians to witness to Christ in all aspects of life

August 18, 2014

SEOSAN, South Korea - Pope Francis told young Asian Catholic leaders to witness to Christ in everything they do.

Cardinal, patriarch call for international action to liberate Iraq

August 18, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis' personal envoy to the suffering people of Iraq joined the Chaldean Catholic patriarch in launching an appeal to the international community Aug. 18, pleading for help to liberate villages controlled by the Islamic State terrorists and to provide the displaced with international protection.

Charity, forgiveness keys to Korean reunification, says Pope Francis

August 18, 2014

SEOUL, South Korea - Pope Francis told Korean Catholics that the reunification of their divided peninsula as well as the harmony of South Korean society depend on the practice of Gospel virtues, especially charity and forgiveness.

Hundreds brave rain to try to get final glimpse of Pope Francis in South Korea

August 18, 2014

SEOUL, South Korea - Hundreds of Catholic faithful and non-Catholic admirers of Pope Francis braved the pouring rain to try to get a glimpse of him outside his final Mass before he left South Korea.

Pope Francis ends South Korea trip with overture to China

August 18, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis ended his first official visit to Asia on Monday (Aug. 18) with a fresh overture to China and a call for reconciliation between South Korea and its communist neighbor, North Korea.

Pope Francis backs use of force to stop Iraq aggressor

August 18, 2014

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM SEOUL, South Korea - Pope Francis said the use of force can be justified to stop "unjust aggressors" such as Islamic State militants in northeastern Iraq, but he declined to endorse U.S. military airstrikes against the militants and said such humanitarian interventions should not be decided on by any single country.

August 19

Former sex slave says she still feels impact of meeting with Pope Francis

August 19, 2014

SEOUL, South Korea - A day after Pope Francis left South Korea, a former sex slave who spent a few minutes with the pontiff said she still felt the impact of their meeting.

Gazans, aid workers wait to see if truce will be renewed

August 19, 2014

AMMAN, Jordan - Humanitarians and the people of the Gaza Strip are apprehensive about whether there will be a renewal of the truce between Israel and the militant Hamas, said a U.S. Catholic aid official.

Pro-life trek complete

August 19, 2014

OTTAWA - Canada’s pro-life Crossroads Walkers finished a three-month trek across the country in Ottawa Aug. 16 with a small rally near Parliament Hill’s Eternal Flame.

Pope Francis hints he might one day retire

August 19, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Addressing journalists on his return from his intense five-day visit to South Korea late Monday (Aug. 18), Pope Francis bantered with reporters and lightheartedly said he may only have “two or three” years left to live.

August 20

Archbishop urges prayers for peace to calm Ferguson chaos

August 20, 2014

ST. LOUIS - Residents of Ferguson "are struggling to find peace in the chaos" that has followed the shooting death of an unarmed teen by a police officer and "as people of Christ, we are struggling to find direction in the unrest," said Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis.

Elderly Iraqi Christians defy ISIS, flee to camp

August 20, 2014

MANCHESTER, England - A group of 11 sick, disabled and elderly Iraqi Christians — including an 80-year-old woman with breast cancer — defied terrorists who ordered them to convert to Islam or be beheaded, saying they preferred death to giving up their faith.

Faith, prayer sources of strength for slain U.S. journalist, his family

August 20, 2014

ROCHESTER, N.H. - In April 2013, the parents of slain U.S. journalist James Foley attended a prayer vigil at Marquette University in Milwaukee to pray for their son, who at that time had disappeared in Syria.

Islamic militias spread beyond Middle East into Africa

August 20, 2014

NAIROBI, Kenya - An Islamist group has gained ground in the northeastern Libyan city of Benghazi, declaring it an Islamic territory and raising fears that radical Islamist militias may spread in the rest of Africa.

Pope Francis thanks people for prayers after deadly crash kills relatives

August 20, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis, in mourning for the deaths of his nephew's wife and two small children, thanked people at his weekly general audience Aug. 20 for their prayers.

August 21

Aid to Iraq is vital

August 21, 2014

The crisis in Iraq will shift from desperate to beyond rescue unless world leaders respond swiftly and decisively to help install order in one of Christiantiy’s most ancient homes.

Fr. Gravel pursued agenda of rebellion

August 21, 2014

Fr. Raymond Gravel died on the feast of St. Clare and was buried on Assumption day with great laudations from Quebec’s political class. The flag at Montreal city hall was lowered to half-mast by order of the mayor, and former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe spoke at the funeral Mass.

Peace comes with submitting to God

August 21, 2014

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Aug. 31 (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) We can perhaps sympathize with Jeremiah. He did not ask for the calling of a prophet — in fact, he was dragged kicking and screaming into his role as God’s mouthpiece.

Asia’s first Christians deserve our support

August 21, 2014

Christianity began in western Asia, in what we now call the Middle East. The Church was born at Jerusalem on Pentecost, and it spread both east and west.

The ‘irrational attack’ against Catholic schools

August 21, 2014

Many years ago, a person named Margaret Wente called and offered me a job at the Globe and Mail newspaper, which I accepted. Many, many years ago, I passed through the Catholic school system in Toronto, elementary school at Holy Cross and high school at Neil McNeil.