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October 2014

October 23

God gives sacred permission to be human

October 23, 2014

Sometimes certain texts in the Bible make you wonder: Is this really the Word of God? Why is this text in Scripture? What’s the lesson here?

Never too late to listen to Pope Benedict XVI

October 23, 2014

One of the world’s wisest voices was not heard during the synod fortnight in Rome. His time to speak publicly is definitively past, but it behooves the Church to listen now to what he said then.

Front line euthanasia ethics

October 23, 2014

At this month’s Supreme Court hearing on assisted suicide, much time was spent arguing whether Canadians have a right to be killed. Few moments were spent considering those who would have to do the killing.

Risky business

October 23, 2014

Pope Francis sought a “sincere and open” discussion among Church leaders attending the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family. Well, he got it. And then some.

Prayer integral in our schools, but there’s more that can be done

October 23, 2014

Part of the mandate of Catholic schools is to ensure that students develop an appreciation and understanding of the role of prayer.

Internet holds blessings and downfalls for families

October 23, 2014

The Canadian contribution to the final report of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family comes up in paragraph 10, where synod fathers speak of dangers of the Internet.

Retired pope says interreligious dialogue no substitute for mission

October 23, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Retired Pope Benedict XVI said dialogue with other religions is no substitute for spreading the Gospel to non-Christian cultures, and warned against relativistic ideas of religious truth as "lethal to faith." He also said the true motivation for missionary work is not to increase the church's size but to share the joy of knowing Christ.

Ask God for help with worldly worries

October 23, 2014

Sometimes, sleep doesn’t come easy. Dreams are pushed aside by worry and fretting. Counting sheep gives way to counting out real-life scenarios and possibilities late into the night.

Reach for the helping hand of hope

October 23, 2014

All Souls’ Day (Year A) Nov. 2 (Lamentations 3:17-26; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Matthew 11:25-30) How do we go on when our whole world has collapsed?

Iraqi priests sanctioned for seeking asylum without superiors' consent

October 23, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Twelve Chaldean religious men and priests living in the United States, Canada, Australia and Sweden have been suspended from exercising their priestly ministry for not receiving permission from their superiors before emigrating from Iraq.

Pope Francis calls for abolishing death penalty and life imprisonment

October 23, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis called for abolition of the death penalty as well as life imprisonment, and denounced what he called a "penal populism" that promises to solve society's problems by punishing crime instead of pursuing social justice.

Italian priest, unfazed by death threats, goes after the Mafia

October 23, 2014

ROME - Half a dozen men stand nonchalantly in front of a grubby building on one of Rome’s busiest streets as cars whizz past. They stiffen whenever a stranger approaches.

October 24

Remembering Fr. Michael Mireau

October 24, 2014

On Sept. 22, former Edmonton Catholic School District chaplain Fr. Michael “Catfish” Mireau passed away after an extensive struggle with a rare form of cancer. He was 42 years old.

Film brings Polish priest’s legacy to life

October 24, 2014

Messenger of the Truth is a timeless lesson of humankind’s potential to stand up for what is right in the name of faith, no matter how many times one has been pushed down.

CNEWA lands grant to aid Ukraine

October 24, 2014

OTTAWA - The Catholic Near East Welfare Association of Canada has received a $226,630 grant from the federal Office for Religious Freedom to combat religious persecution in parts of Ukraine.

Ottawa Archbishop urges vigilance in wake of shooting

October 24, 2014

People need to be vigilant as they continue their daily routine, said Ottawa archbishop Terrence Prendergast in the wake of the attack on Parliament Hill that left a soldier and the shooter dead.

Top Anglican calls for lifting seal of confessional in child abuse cases

October 24, 2014

CANTERBURY, England - Anglican priests should no longer be bound by the centuries-old principle of confidentiality in confessions when they are told of sexual crimes committed against children, the Church of England’s No. 2 official said.

October 25

Monk mixes art and theology on campus

October 25, 2014

TORONTO - If you get up close, within centimetres of Br. Emmaus O’Herlihy’s monumental painting of Christ the King, you may see a tear descending from Jesus’ left eye. Or you might not.

Catholic higher education at the service of humanity

October 25, 2014

There is a perception, which has widened in the last 40 years, that Catholic higher education is no longer compatible with the modern university. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education charged denominational colleges and universities should be refused accreditation for “systematically undermining… skeptical and unfettered inquiry” and “the primacy of reason.”

New program takes flight to pay for tuition

October 25, 2014

Life for post-secondary students is often a time of financial turbulence, but a new program that allows tuition to be paid with Aeroplan reward miles could make for some smoother landings.