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November 2015

November 1

Arab-Jewish preschool an island of sanity amid violence, parents say

November 1, 2015

JAFFA, Israel - Amid ongoing violence between Palestinians and Israelis, a school in this city seems more determined than ever to teach Arab and Jewish children about coexistence.

Pennsylvania priest builds ministry one Lego at a time

November 1, 2015

MOSCOW, Pa. - Fr. Bob Simon fell in love with two things at the age of five — the Catholic Church and building with Lego.

November 2

Syriac Catholic bishops call for diplomacy to achieve peace in Syria, Iraq

November 2, 2015

BEIRUT - Syriac Catholic bishops, meeting in Lebanon during their annual Synod, called for a diplomatic solution to achieve peace in Syria and Iraq.

Despite violence, Pope says he hopes to visit Central African Republic

November 2, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Despite ongoing violence in the Central African Republic, Pope Francis said he hopes to be able to visit the country in late November and to anticipate the Year of Mercy by opening the Holy Door of the cathedral in Bangui, the nation's capital.

Vatican official, consultant arrested for financial documents leak

November 2, 2015

VATICAN CITY - A Vatican official and a former lay consultant on a pontifical commission were arrested for leaking documents to an Italian journalist who has announced plans to publish them in a book.

Cardinal says in homily Pope Francis will visit Mexico in February

November 2, 2015

MEXICO CITY - Pope Francis will visit Mexico in February, marking the pontiff's first trip to the heavily Catholic country, said Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City.

November 3

Pope Francis’ trip to Africa draws excitement, trepidation in Kenya

November 3, 2015

NAIROBI, Kenya - Pope Francis’ visit to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi Nov. 25–27 will bring healing and reconciliation to the East African nation that has suffered key setbacks in the recent past, senior bishops here say.

Reporter claims Pope approves Communion for all remarried who ask

November 3, 2015

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican spokesman described as obviously "unreliable" an Italian journalist's claim that Pope Francis told him that following the Synod of Bishops on the family, "all the divorced who ask" will be admitted to Communion.

40 Days for Life campaign not deterred despite political change in Ottawa

November 3, 2015

OTTAWA - As Ottawa’s 40 Days for Life campaign ended Nov. 1, organizers committed to keep the campaign’s momentum going, especially since the election of a Liberal government that refused pro-life candidates.

More time needed to define assisted suicide, conference told

November 3, 2015

MONTREAL - As Canada moves toward legalized assisted suicide starting in February, Quebec will jump the gun and become the first province to permit doctors to euthanize patients beginning next month.

November 4

News 'VatiLeaks' 2015: Books claim strong resistance to pope's finance reform

November 4, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Financial wrongdoing at the Vatican, leaked documents and arrests by the Vatican police may make it seem like 2012 all over again, but the situation -- while serious -- is not the breach of papal privacy that the earlier "VatiLeaks" scandal was.

November 5

Myanmar's cardinal uneasy about pre-election push for one race, religion

November 5, 2015

YANGON, Myanmar - From his residence at St. Mary's Cathedral, Cardinal Charles Bo has a front-row seat to the changes sweeping across his country. What he has witnessed ahead of the nation's Nov. 8 election — the first fully contested since 1990 — has troubled him, reported ucanews.com.

Persecution is a 'shared experience' that unites all Christians

November 5, 2015

VATICAN CITY - The persecution and martyrdom of Christians around the world have become "a shared experience" and a common journey that unites all who give witness to Christ, Pope Francis said.

Prime Minister Trudeau and new cabinet now face reality

November 5, 2015

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his new 30-member cabinet face big challenges as the new Liberal government now must decide which election promises to make reality, say observers.

Pope Francis expected to visit U.S.-Mexico border in February

November 5, 2015

NEW YORK - A Honduran cardinal who is a top advisor to Pope Francis said he expects the pontiff to travel to Mexico’s border with the United States when he visits that country in February.

Turkson hopes Laudato Si' will have impact on Paris climate conference

November 5, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Cardinal Peter Turkson, the lead consultant on the papal encyclical on the environment, is hoping the document would have a significant impact on the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Paris.

Care, not killing

November 5, 2015

Most of Canada’s incoming parliamentarians were on the campaign trail in September and probably missed the inspiring address Pope Francis gave to U.S. Congress. If so, that’s a shame. His speech was made for America but a perfect fit for Canada.

Withered family

November 5, 2015

What is closer to home than the family? It is the blueprint of who we are and, often, what we hope to become. It is from the family that we derive our personal and social identity. Family shapes and moulds our moral values and disciplines our behaviour.

Displacing ego and narcissism

November 5, 2015

The Buddhists have a little axiom that explains more about ourselves than we would like. They say that you can understand most of what’s wrong in the world and inside yourself by looking at a group photo. Invariably you will look first at how you turned out before looking at whether or not this is a good photo of the group. Basically, we assess the quality of things on the basis of how we are doing.

The Lord’s teaching will outlast this world

November 5, 2015

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Nov. 15 (Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32) Many people have been convinced that they were living through the absolute worst time in the history of the world. The carnage and destruction of the First and Second World Wars, as well as the devastation of revolutions, plagues and natural disasters all vie for the top of the list of horrors. It seemed to those who were experiencing these things that the end of the world had indeed come.