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November 2016

November 17

Stop this torture of using prolonged solitary confinement

November 17, 2016

Prolonged solitary confinement of prisoners — torture according to the United Nations — has no place in a just penal system. Yet isolating inmates for lengthy periods remains common practice at Canadian penitentiaries. It must stop.

Pope, Trump share some values

November 17, 2016

The election of Donald Trump must have distressed Pope Francis. Or did it?

There is no justification for killing innocent people in Iraq and Syria, Pope says

November 17, 2016

VATICAN CITY – In a meeting with the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Thursday, Pope Francis criticized ongoing violence in Iraq and Syria, saying no motive can justify or allow the killing of innocent people, especially children.

Searching for faith on university campuses

November 17, 2016

As a young Catholic, I’m finding that it is important to surround myself with as much of a Catholic presence as I can. I’m in my last year of high school, and I’ve noticed that through the past few years it’s gotten harder to hold steady in my faith.

One-woman shows bring Scripture to life

November 17, 2016

When Elisa Lollino performs, it’s not just a play. It’s also a form of prayer.

Université de Montréal is closing its faculty of theology amid restructuring

November 17, 2016

MONTREAL – Université de Montréal – Canada's second-largest university – announced it will close its faculty of theology and transform it into an institute of religious studies embedded in the faculty of arts and sciences.

New Zealand priests find ways to be with people affected by quake

November 17, 2016

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – The seaside town of Kaikoura on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island might have had its road and rail links with the outside world cut off after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, but its Catholic priest found a way to get into the town to celebrate Sunday Mass and be with his people.

Finding the real presence of Jesus

November 17, 2016

When I was a graduate student in Belgium, I was privileged one day to sit in on a conference given by Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Brussels.

Today’s warning signs are a call to action

November 17, 2016

1st Sunday of Advent Nov. 27 (Year A) Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44 The passage from Isaiah is one of the most stirring and inspiring images in the Bible. It represents humanity’s deep yearning for peace, happiness and prosperity, as well as an intimate knowledge of the ways of God.

Pope Francis, the ultimate headhunter

November 17, 2016

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is often referred to as the “Pope of surprises” for many reasons. One of them is the unexpected churchmen he chooses to elevate to the rank of cardinal, as he will do with 16 bishops and an elderly priest on Saturday (Nov. 19) in St. Peter’s Basilica.

November 18

Our reflections on the Year of Mercy

November 18, 2016

To commemorate the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Youth Speak News team reflected on the seven corporal works of mercy and how they incorporated each work into their daily life.

Motion to study violent porn impact wins all-party support

November 18, 2016

OTTAWA – A private member motion for a government study into the public impact of pornographic material that is readily available on the Internet has won all-party support.

People can’t forgive a priest attached to money

November 18, 2016

Pope Francis appealed for God to grant believers the courage to embrace Christian poverty, saying people cannot forgive a priest who is attached to money. His remarks came during his Mass celebrated on Friday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.

Philippine Catholic leaders outraged by hero's burial for former dictator Marcos

November 18, 2016

MANILA, Philippines – As protests erupted, church leaders criticized the secret hero's burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator ousted in the 1986 People Power revolution.

New York court rules Archbishop Sheen's remains should be transferred to Peoria

November 18, 2016

PEORIA, Ill. – The Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled Nov. 17 in favor of the family of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen regarding their request to allow the transfer of the sainthood candidate's remains to Peoria, where he was raised and ordained a priest.

New Venezuelan cardinal says country's crisis prompted red hat

November 18, 2016

ROME - Venezuelan Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo is one of the Pope's picks from the peripheries who will get a red hat this weekend, which the new cardinal-elect says is a sign of the Vatican's concern for the people amid the country’s ongoing crisis.

Pope tells bishops to have compassion on those with failed marriages

November 18, 2016

VATICAN CITY - On Friday Pope Francis stopped by a formation course for bishops on the new marriage nullity process, telling attendees that as bishops, and now as local judges in annulment cases, they must pursue the truth, but never exclude those whose marriages have failed.

Pope Francis dismisses critics of his teachings

November 18, 2016

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is defending his efforts to make the Catholic Church more open and pastoral in its ministry, telling an interviewer that his opponents have a legalistic mindset about Christianity that only sees the faith in “black or white.”

U.S. bishops are trying to figure out how to deal with post-election animus

November 18, 2016

BALTIMORE – Like many others, the U.S. Catholic bishops are trying to figure out how to deal with a president-elect who's different from anyone they've dealt with in the past and one involved in one of the most rancorous elections in modern times.

November 19

'Doctor Strange' offers a taste of spiritual medicine

November 19, 2016

Scott Derickson’s new film, Doctor Strange, has received rave reviews for its special-effects, its compelling story-telling, and the quality of its actors, but I would like to focus on the spirituality implicit in it. Doctor Strange is far from a satisfying presentation of the spiritual order, but it represents a significant step in the right direction, which proves especially helpful for our time.