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January 2016

January 17

Catholics and Lutherans to worship together at Reformation anniversary

January 17, 2016

PARIS - Catholics and Lutherans have made another step toward joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 by issuing common liturgical guidelines for ecumenical services to mark the occasion.

January 18

Dialogue, remembrance, peace highlighted as Pope visits synagogue

January 18, 2016

ROME - While the Catholic Church affirms that salvation comes through Jesus, it also recognizes that God is faithful and has not revoked his covenant with the Jewish people, Pope Francis said.

January 19

Pope to migrants: Do not be robbed of hope, joy of living

January 19, 2016

VATICAN CITY - Welcoming thousands of migrants and refugees to the Vatican for their own Year of Mercy celebration, Pope Francis urged them to resist everything that would rob them of hope and joy.

No saint has a sin-free past, no sinner is hopeless, Pope says

January 19, 2016

VATICAN CITY - There is no saint without a past and no sinner without a future, Pope Francis said in his morning Mass.

Judges drop corruption charge, find monsignor guilty of slander

January 19, 2016

ROME - A Rome court dropped charges of corruption against an Italian monsignor, yet found him guilty of slander and gave him a two-year suspended sentence.

Church leaders condemn new vandalism at two Christian sites in Jerusalem

January 19, 2016

JERUSALEM - One week after a Christian cemetery was desecrated outside of Jerusalem, two more Christian sites were vandalized in the city.

Teach the faith, expose extremism, Vatican official asks Arab leaders

January 19, 2016

VATICAN CITY - Religious leaders must identify and publicly distance themselves from extremists preaching animosity toward others, a Vatican official told religious and government leaders from across the Arab world.

Refugees in Lebanon plead with USCCB representatives for help in resettling

January 19, 2016

BEIRUT - Myrna calmly begins describing the challenges she faces as a Syrian refugee in Lebanon, but soon breaks down in tears over the enormous problems that have upset her family life: her husband has no work and her 7-year-old son with a heart condition now wets in his sleep because of stress. Some days the family goes without eating.

January 20

No one is excluded from the mercy of God, Pope says at audience

January 20, 2016

VATICAN CITY - Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians are called to work together in order to be a visible sign that God's mercy excludes no one, Pope Francis said during his general audience Jan. 20.

Pope receives official invitation to visit Rome's mosque

January 20, 2016

VATICAN CITY - A Muslim delegation formally invited Pope Francis to visit Rome's mosque, the largest mosque outside the Islamic world. It would mark the first time a Pope visited the local mosque, which was opened in 1995.

Religious groups focus on Flint’s water woes

January 20, 2016

Catholic Charities is giving out water and food. The Flint Jewish Federation is collecting water and water filters. And the Michigan Muslim Community Council has distributed more than 120,000 bottles of clean water for Flint, Mich.

Quebec mourns Catholic missionaries slain in Burkina Faso

January 20, 2016

MONTREAL - Quebec is mourning six humanitarian aid workers from the Quebec City region who were among 29 people slain by Islamic extremists in Burkina Faso Jan. 16.

Federal panel calls for improved palliative care

January 20, 2016

OTTAWA - Parliament should improve access to palliative care across Canada and ensure proper safeguards are implemented concerning assisted suicide, recommends a government panel in a report issued Jan. 18.

Vatican to care for homeless woman who gave birth outside of St. Peter's

January 20, 2016

VATICAN CITY - A homeless woman was offered a place to stay at a Vatican women's shelter after she gave birth to a baby girl near the colonnade surrounding St. Peter's Square, the Vatican spokesman said.

Bohan a builder of bridges

January 20, 2016

When Archbishop Daniel Bohan died Jan. 15, Joey Reynolds had to get on The Regina Leader Post web site to remind everybody of what kind of man had come west to pastor in the Queen City.

After his death, Muslim Kenyan who shielded Christians hailed as hero

January 20, 2016

NAIROBI, Kenya - A Muslim man who shielded Christians after a passenger bus was ambushed by suspected al-Shabab militants is being saluted as a symbol of unity.

January 21

A ‘Prairie staple’

January 21, 2016

As Canada gets ready for its multi-million-dollar 150th birthday celebration in 2017, party planners would do well to remember the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Pioneers, missionaries, pastors, educators, peacemakers, nation builders — few organizations stand ahead of the Oblates, as they are commonly known, in terms of the quantity and quality of their contributions to Canada.

Long shot worth taking

January 21, 2016

After years writing about euthanasia as the religion reporter for the National Post, followed by two years of public talks to convince Canadians that government-sanctioned killing would be a disaster, I think I have finally figured out what bothers me the most about what is taking place in our country: the disturbing lack of imagination that has taken over the public psyche about how to deal with people who are suffering.

A jealous heart is an ugly, tormented heart, Pope says at morning Mass

January 21, 2016

VATICAN CITY - Jealousy and envy are ugly sins that grow like weeds in one's heart, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass. A heart that is envious is not only tormented, but can even "lead one to kill," the Pope said Jan. 21 during the Mass in the chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae.

Success can’t be measured while on Earth

January 21, 2016

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Jan. 31 (Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; Psalm 71; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13; Luke 4:21-30) The prophetic call from God made brave men quake. Most of them knew exactly what it could mean — hardship, rejection, persecution, failure and even death.