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January 9, 2015
Today, for a number of reasons, we struggle to be generous and prodigal with God’s mercy.
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Jan. 18 (1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42) How many of us are called upon by God without realizing it? Divine addresses are seldom of the dramatic type portrayed in Hollywood biblical epics. They usually lack the beams of light and angelic choirs. God’s call is often innocuous enough to be overlooked or mistaken for something else. Only its persistence sets it apart.
Four years ago, a priest gave a homily that has stuck in my mind ever since: “God loves you and there is nothing you can do about it.” He continued to say that there wasn’t a single thing a person could do, nor was there a single thing about a person that would make God stop loving that person — not his or her gender, race or sexual orientation.
VATICAN CITY - A panel of theologians advising the Vatican's Congregation for Saints' Causes voted unanimously to recognize the late Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero as a martyr, according to the newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference.
AMMAN, Jordan - A Catholic official warned that funding will soon run out to feed and house thousands of Iraqi Christians sheltering in Jordan after being made homeless by Islamic State militants.
January 10, 2015
PILAR, INDIA - Sri Lankan Catholics are looking forward to Pope Francis’ canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz Jan. 14, but the enthusiasm and eagerness of Fr. Cosme Jose Costa stands apart.
Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Montreal's Saint Nom-de-Jesus church was closed due to a fire. There was, in fact, no fire but the church was closed at the insistence of fire inspectors. MONTREAL - Five years after it was closed, more than a thousand parishioners and visiting dignitaries filled Montreal’s historic Saint Nom-de Jésus on Christmas Eve to celebrate the reopening of their church.
MANILA, Philippines - In the months leading up to Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines Jan. 15-19, Church leaders emphasized "spiritual preparation," such as a special prayer for the Pope at the end of each Mass and a reminder to carry out small acts of kindness toward the less fortunate.
TORONTO - Over the years, the strongest of Pauline Sisters could manage the huge printing presses and handle the massive rolls of paper — work that men usually did. But these women religious were determined to share the Gospel the way their founder thought best a century ago: The Daughters of St. Paul were made for media.
January 11, 2015
TORONTO - A new year brings a new exective director for the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.
TORONTO - It’s not easy being Syrian, especially if you’re the forgotten minority caught in the tsunami of sectarian massacres and ethnic cleansing referred to as the Syrian civil war.
Scarboro Missions is seeking those with the guts and grit to answer God’s call to serve as a foreign missioner on a short-term basis.
The international Anglican commission with responsibility for keeping the Anglican Communion together has asked the Anglican Church of Canada not to change its canon law to allow same-sex marriage.
January 12, 2015
VATICAN CITY - Highlighting some of the most urgent conflicts facing the world, Pope Francis said such strife and injustices were rooted in a culture of rejection that refuses to recognize God, to protect nature and to respect other human beings.
NAIROBI, Kenya - International rights groups, churches and activists are escalating campaigns against female genital mutilation now that a new practice has emerged in which girls are checking into hospitals to have the procedure.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Hours before Pope Francis was to arrive in Sri Lanka, people in Colombo were busy with final preparations.
While nothing can ever justify cold-blooded murder, the Charlie Hebdo murders in Paris are no surprise, said Canada’s most famous Catholic philosopher.
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican rejected reports that it could be the next target of Islamist terrorists after last week’s deadly attacks in France.
Nigerian Roman Catholic Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama says his country needs a similar march to the one held in Paris on Sunday (Jan. 11) to pay tribute to victims of Islamist militant attacks.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis thanked Catholics worldwide for helping people in Haiti recover from a devastating earthquake, but said "there is still much work left to do."