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December 8, 2016
In his very moving homily for the Inauguration of his Petrine Ministry as Bishop of Rome on April 24, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI spoke these words:
People are forever predicting the end of the world.
4th Sunday of Advent, Dec. 18 (Year A) Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 When our situation is desperate and we are backed into a corner, we want to be sure that God is present and has our back. What do we ask of God for reassurance or proof?
Ever since I was a young girl, sports have been my outlet. The rush of energy that comes from scoring a goal, the thrill of passing someone in a race, the satisfaction of mastering a skill, are moments I lived for.
OTTAWA – A Senate committee has given mixed reviews to Canada's resettlement of thousands of Syrian refugees and warns government action is needed as sponsorship funding draws to an end.
VATICAN CITY – A Vatican decision to reaffirm its opposition to gay priests has angered activists who thought Pope Francis was changing Rome’s attitudes toward homosexuality.
December 9, 2016
HELSINKI, Finland – In an inconspicuous red brick church in the southeast corner of downtown Helsinki, a small group of young adults gather on a Tuesday in the chapel to share in prayer, sacrament and fellowship.
For the first time, a not-so-little piece of Cape Breton is standing tall in Boston’s downtown this Christmas season, keeping alive a tradition that has its roots in a tragedy that rocked Nova Scotia 99 years ago.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Citing the prospect of a more favourable Supreme Court, Ohio legislators have passed a ban on abortions once an unborn child’s heartbeat can be detected.
ROME – In two long interviews with Jesuit publications, director Martin Scorsese described his new film Silence as a major stage in his pilgrimage of faith, a pilgrimage that included flunking out of the minor seminary, investigating other religions and recognizing that the Catholic Church was his home.
VATICAN CITY – The Christmas tree and Nativity scene are symbols of God's love and hope, reminding us to contemplate the beauty of creation and welcome the marginalized, Pope Francis said.
CARACAS, Venezuela – The Venezuelan bishops' justice and peace commission on Tuesday repudiated the murders of 12 young men by an operation of the Liberation of the People, a government security team meant to combat crime and homicide.
VATICAN CITY – Priests are called to be mediators between God and God's people, offering their time and their very lives in service; they are not God's "intermediaries" or functionaries, who go to work to get paid or, worse, enter the priesthood in search of status, Pope Francis said.
PRETORIA, South Africa – While countries around the world such as Canada, Germany and Japan have passed legislation to legalize physician assisted suicide, one has ruled to reject it: South Africa.
KRAKOW, Poland – Archbishop Marek Jedraszweski has been named the new shepherd of Poland's Krakow archdiocese by Pope Francis, following the retirement of Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz.
JOHANNESBURG – Pax Christi International, the Catholic peace movement, said it will build up young people to contribute to peace and justice in Africa, noting that children are the continent's greatest resource.
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Consensus about the Middle East and its long-simmering tensions might seem hard to come by, but a dozen international scholars, government officials and leaders of nongovernmental organizations found a few points of agreement during a meeting at Villanova University.
WASHINGTON – As Christians in the Middle East look back on 2016, they wonder if there will be much to celebrate amid mounting challenges, particularly for those displaced by conflicts in Iraq and Syria.
December 10, 2016
ROME, Italy – For American composer J.J. Wright, the Second Vatican Council's call to inculturate the Church's ancient musical traditions into “mission territory” – while preserving its unity – is something he has adopted personally with one of his greatest passions: jazz.
ISTANBUL – Sami Dankha, his three brothers and their families used to kick off Christmas celebrations by attending a packed Christmas Eve Mass at St. Thomas Church in Baghdad. Wearing brand new clothes and sporting fresh haircuts, they would spend the night chatting, singing and eating pacha, a dish made from sheep's head that Iraqis consider a delicacy and a staple of Christmas.