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April 2017

April 20

Demand for cellphone metals thwarts efforts to end war, says Congolese priest

April 20, 2017

MANCHESTER, England – Global demand for metallic ores used in cellphones is thwarting efforts to end war and violence in Congo, said an African priest.

Fears rise in Egypt after ISIS attack near ancient monastery

April 20, 2017

CAIRO, Egypt – Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint near an historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Egypt, killing one and wounding four.

We can all share in Jesus’ victory

April 20, 2017

Third Sunday of Easter, April 30 (Year A) Acts 2:14, 22b-28; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35 Death could not hold Jesus. This was an important part of the first proclamation of the Risen Lord after the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Filled and emboldened with the Spirit, Peter recounted the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and he cast it as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy.

Violence in God’s name is never justified

April 20, 2017

The 17th-century theologian and scientist Blaise Pascal once wrote: “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.”

Pope Francis among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people

April 20, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Time Magazine has released its 2017 list of the world’s 100 most influential people, and Pope Francis is among the leaders highlighted by the publication.

After shooting, Fresno Catholics urged to be a light to community

April 20, 2017

FRESNO, Calif. – After three men were killed April 18 in a shooting rampage in Fresno by a gunman who was captured and admitted to the shootings, the Diocese of Fresno urged the local Catholic community to "seize this moment as an opportunity to live as people of light not darkness by rejecting the temptation to hate the hater."

April 21

Speaking Out: Climate change is a moral crisis

April 21, 2017

I am almost completely removed from nature in my daily life. I don’t have to worry about where my water is coming from and the food I eat is easily accessible at the supermarket. My life, and the lives of my family and friends, are not in any immediate danger because of global warming.

Comment: We can’t be bystanders in Islamophobia fight

April 21, 2017

Perhaps the greatest Roman Catholic voice to oppose Jewish prejudice was Pope John Paul II. He, more than any other Church leader, continues to enjoy the favour of the Jews. It was Pope John Paul II who categorically instructed the faithful that anti-Semitism is a serious sin.

Toronto archdiocese tries to keep up with demand for youth ministers

April 21, 2017

TORONTO – Youth ministers are in demand at the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Office of Catholic Youth is trying to keep up.

Courage ministry finds common ground in pastoral care for LGBTQ youth

April 21, 2017

Who we are as Christians is not defined by our sexual orientation, said Deacon Hilmar Pabel. Who we are, fundamentally, are God’s children.

Pope regrets inability to visit Brazil for Aparecida apparition anniversary

April 21, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis sent a letter to the president of Brazil, apologizing for his inability to visit in 2017 and encouraging the leader's attention to the country's social issues.

'Sister Listeners' help Rwandans move beyond genocide

April 21, 2017

KIGALI, Rwanda – The Benebikira Sisters, the oldest indigenous congregation in Rwanda, have sisters who are teachers, nurses, pharmacists, formators and administrators. But they also have religious with a unique title: Sister Listeners.

Italian bishop who served in Toronto granted early retirement for missionary work

April 21, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis accepted the early retirement request of Italian Bishop Gianfranco Todisco, who begged to be allowed to return to missionary work or to be sent "to the farthest, most disadvantaged" diocese.

Indian bishops slam 'brutal' disruption of Good Friday service

April 21, 2017

ROME, Italy – India's Catholic bishops have strongly condemned a violent police disruption of a Good Friday service at a small parish in the south of the country.

April 22

Book: Practical advice to stop resisting happiness

April 22, 2017

It smacks us in the face pretty much every day — that sluggish, sinking-in-the-quicksand sensation of knowing what we should be doing, but not doing it.

Why marriage nullity cases always include a defender of the bond

April 22, 2017

SANTIAGO, Chile – In the process of declaring the nullity of marriage there is a position of utmost importance which allows the judges to reach the moral certainty required to make their judgement: the office of the defender of the bond.

Egypt trip part of Pope's mission to inspire and encourage

April 22, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis' visit to Egypt, a land increasingly marked by terrorist-led bloodshed, stands as part of his mission to inspire and encourage today's actors in theatres of violence to change the script and set a new stage.

Amid influx of migrants, some Germans think their concerns are ignored

April 22, 2017

REGENSBURG, Germany – Amid rising social unrest and an influx of Mideast migrants, German authorities – including Catholic Church officials – are facing criticism from ordinary people who believe their concerns are being ignored.

Why does the Catholic Church still care about promoting Latin?

April 22, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Existing in some form since several hundred years before Christ, the Latin language seems like an unlikely subject to still be generating brand new research, especially among young scholars.

Living in multi-faith Canada is a real-life challenge for Muslims

April 22, 2017

The worst of it was the day Sumaiya Desai went grocery shopping with her then eight-year-old son.