Browse › 2016 › September

September 2016

September 12

Benedictine abbots elect head of Conception Abbey abbot primate

September 12, 2016

ROME – A room with a view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica from a monastery atop the Aventine Hill is very nice, but Abbot Gregory Polan knows he will miss his brother monks at Conception Abbey in Missouri very, very much.

Papal commission steps up work to educate church about abuse

September 12, 2016

VATICAN CITY – Members of the Pope's commission for child protection, including an abuse survivor, have been speaking with new bishops and major Vatican offices as part of a mandate to develop and educate the church about best practices.

Pope gives confirmation sacrament to gravely ill teen

September 12, 2016

VATICAN CITY – In a brief outdoor ceremony, Pope Francis administered the sacrament of confirmation to 16-year-old Giuseppe Chiolo, who had come to the Vatican by ambulance from Florence.

Countries bordering Nigeria help those displaced by Boko Haram

September 12, 2016

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – When aid worker El-hedji Gombe Abba was growing up, very little happened on the road that runs through Niger's Diffa region into the city, but nowadays people fleeing Boko Haram violence form a seemingly endless line along it.

Pope praises bishops' guidelines on helping divorced, remarried couples

September 12, 2016

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis thanked a group of bishops in Argentina for providing their priests with concrete guidelines for implementing the section of his apostolic exhortation on the family about circumstances in which divorced and civilly remarried couples might eventually be allowed to receive Communion.

Mother Teresa upheld as the human face of eternal hope at U.N.

September 12, 2016

UNITED NATIONS – St. Teresa of Calcutta was described as the human face of eternal hope who embodied the founding principles of the world body during a program honoring her canonization.

September 13

Economic focus must shift from profit to people, cardinal says

September 13, 2016

VATICAN CITY – The current economic model that places profit over the common good of all human beings must change in order to confront the challenges the world is facing today, a Vatican official said.

Toronto’s newest bishop has ‘smell of the sheep'

September 13, 2016

EDMONTON – Toronto’s newest auxiliary bishop was called to be a servant leader, “a man for others,” in his episcopal ordination Mass Sept. 12 at St. Joseph’s Basilica.

Overcome indifference, build a culture of encounter

September 13, 2016

Pope Francis says "an encounter with Jesus overcomes our indifference" and warned against bad habits that, even within a family, prevent us from truly listening to others and empathising with them. The Pope’s comments came during his homily at Tuesday’s Mass celebrated at the Santa Marta residence.

Full agenda for Canadian bishops’ upcoming plenary

September 13, 2016

OTTAWA – The impact of Bill C-14 that legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada will be among the issues facing Canada’s bishops as they gather for their annual plenary Sept. 26-30 in Cornwall, Ont.

September 14

Assassinated French priest joins procession of martyrs, Pope says

September 14, 2016

VATICAN CITY – To kill in the name of God is satanic, Pope Francis said at a special requiem Mass for a French priest assassinated by youths claiming allegiance to the Islamic State.

Anti-trafficking experts applaud Sydney prostitution sting

September 14, 2016

OTTAWA – A Nova Scotia court decision that upheld the right of police to release names of men arrested for soliciting prostitutes is being applauded by experts in human trafficking who are now calling for Canada’s anti-prostitution laws to be enforced across the country.

German cardinal says U.S.-EU trade treaty could be beneficial

September 14, 2016

BONN, Germany – As Europeans planned weekend street protests against a controversial trade treaty with the United States, a European Church leader said intergovernmental agreements were worthwhile when they reflected ethical standards.

U.S. archbishop rejects claim religious liberty used as excuse to discriminate

September 14, 2016

WASHINGTON – Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore sharply criticized comments made by Martin Castro, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, that the phrases "religious liberty" and "religious freedom" were "code words" used to discriminate.

Edmonton Catholic newspaper being replaced by online daily news portal

September 14, 2016

EDMONTON – Born 51 years ago amid the optimism of Vatican II, Alberta’s award-winning Catholic newspaper, the Western Catholic Reporter, will publish its final issue Sept. 26.

Life is built on a foundation of love

September 14, 2016

When discussions about Catholic fiction arise certain names are always mentioned: J.R.R. Tolkien, Flannery O’Connor, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Thomas Merton and so forth. Even C. S. Lewis comes up, even though he was a member of the Church of England.

September 15

Documentary premiered at TIFF chronicles Pope's Cuban trip

September 15, 2016

TORONTO – A blockbuster lineup headlined the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year, but among the lesser known films drawing attention was one featuring Pope Francis, Fidel Castro and Barack Obama.

Study puts dollar value of organized religion in the U.S. at $1.2 trillion

September 15, 2016

WASHINGTON – Religion is big bucks — worth $1.2 trillion annually to the American economy, according to the first comprehensive study to tabulate such a figure.

Suicide is not the answer

September 15, 2016

I can’t express the sadness my heart feels at the rising rate of suicide among young people today. The numbers are staggering and I feel helpless thinking of so many who have lost hope.

Ups, downs and happy death

September 15, 2016

In the Roman Catholic culture within which I grew up, we were taught to pray for a happy death. For many Catholics at the time, this was a standard petition within their daily prayer: “I pray for a happy death.”