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May 20, 2016
For years, seminaries and monasteries around France sent students and novices to Monsignor Tony Anatrella, a prominent French priest and therapist who has written disparagingly of gays, if their superiors decided the young men were struggling with homosexuality.
Exploiting the working people to enrich oneself is like sucking blood; it’s a mortal sin. That was the message of Pope Francis during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.
Announcing the word of God should never be dissociated from the understanding of human weakness. That was Pope Francis’ message during the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. Commenting on the Gospel passage in which Christ speaks with the Pharisees about adultery, he said the Lord overcomes the human vision which would reduce the vision of God to a casuistic equation.
JERUSALEM – The Holy See has approved the election of Franciscan Father Francesco Patton as the new "custos" of the Holy Land, replacing Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who held the position for 12 years.
What we cease to celebrate we will soon cease to cherish. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the religious congregation to which I belong, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. We have a proud history, 200 years now, of ministering to the poor around the world. This merits celebrating.
NAIROBI, Kenya – A Slovak nun shot and wounded in Yei, South Sudan, died May 20 at a hospital in Nairobi.
Body and Blood of Christ (Year C) May 29 (Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 10; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11b-17) God has always been at work in the most unlikely places and individuals. The strange story of Abram (Abraham before his name change) receiving a blessing from King Melchizedek of Salem stirs up a lot of questions.
The most impactful accomplishment of Stephen Harper’s years as Prime Minister might have been his selling G-20 leaders on the need to spend billions of dollars to improve maternal and child health in some of the poorest nations on Earth.
AJAX, ONT. – Members of an Ajax parish are growing frustrated as the wait grows longer for the Iraqi refugee family they have sponsored to be approved for resettlement in Canada.
May 21, 2016
CANTERBURY, England – Anti-Semitism is “deeply embedded” in British culture, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said.
HAMILTON, ONT. – A visitor to the Kitchener-Waterloo area, looking for “Fr. Reitzel,” might get this reply to their query: “Which one?”
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Pope Francis has rebranded the Catholic Church and the papacy, and the media have taken notice.
May 22, 2016
BALTIMORE – The accomplishment of winning the Super Bowl in 2013 as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens gave John Harbaugh a crowning achievement in football, but he relied on his Catholic faith to guide him and his players through a series of potentially spirit-crushing events during the past year.
SHKODER, Albania – Human bones, old shoes and deteriorating priest collars fill cardboard boxes in the office of Franciscan Brother Vincenzo Foca, an Italian who lives and works in Shkoder.
May 23, 2016
WASHINGTON – "There is a right to seek a better place for yourself and your children, but there is also a right to stay where you are," said Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick at a conference in Washington May 18.
VATICAN CITY – With visits to detention facilities and washing the feet of the detainees, Pope Francis has placed renewed emphasis on the work of mercy of visiting prisoners.
May 24, 2016
HUE, Vietnam – Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly, a human rights campaigner jailed by Vietnamese authorities, was released from prison three days ahead of the May 22 arrival of U.S. President Barack Obama.
VATICAN CITY – After five years of tension and top-level silence, Pope Francis and the grand imam of one of the most important Sunni Muslim universities in the world embraced at the Vatican May 23.
No Christian can exist without joy: that’s what Pope Francis said in his Homily at Mass Monday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse. The Pope stressed that even through life’s difficulties, the Christian knows he can trust in Jesus and find hope. The Pope also reminded the faithful they should not allow riches to dominate their lives because they ultimately lead to sadness.
"Walk in the presence of God without reproach." That’s how Pope Francis says we can journey towards holiness. During the Homily at Mass at Santa Marta Tuesday, the Pope said that for this commitment to succeed, Christians must be able to hope with courage, open themselves up to discussion, and freely welcome God's grace.