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July 2017

July 8

Rebuilt from the ashes: The story of an American basilica

July 8, 2017

NORFOLK, Virginia – An immigrant parish, burnt down, with only the crucifix remaining. A parish rebuilt, transformed and a key part in giving back to the community. In a sense, one parish’s story of struggle, pressure and rebirth is metaphor for the American Catholic experience.

July 9

Syriac Christian artist calls paintings of war 'a cry for help'

July 9, 2017

LANCASTER, England – A huge plume of grey smoke billows into a vivid blue sky as rooftops and buildings buckle into twisted iron and debris and then begin to fall. Beneath the smoke, human wreckage of the blast is visible: faces of victims contorted in pain and others dead, lying in pools of their own blood.

Attending church is good for your health. Now what?

July 9, 2017

The latest in a long line of studies, now numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands, shows that church attendance is good for your health.

Rise in priest suicides prompts call for helpline in Ireland

July 9, 2017

DUBLIN, Ireland – Besides a shortage of vocations, Irish priests are facing an even more harrowing kind of crisis.

July 10

Pope's homily: 'Let us give Jesus our sins'

July 10, 2017

Pope Francis on Friday celebrated Mass for the maintenance staff of Vatican City State, reminding them that our joy and our salvation lies in the fact that Jesus came so that we can all be forgiven our sins.

Twentieth century Polish nurse among causes advancing toward sainthood

July 10, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Friday approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Hanna Chrzanowska, a Polish nurse and nursing instructor who died from cancer in 1973, paving the way for her beatification.

Kenya to add chaplains to public high schools to improve discipline

July 10, 2017

NAIROBI, Kenya – Religious leaders in Kenya have welcomed a government move to recruit chaplains for all public high schools as a measure intended to improve discipline and staunch unrest.

Vatican calls on bishops to prevent Eucharistic abuse in their dioceses

July 10, 2017

VATICAN CITY – In a new letter to bishops, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments denounced abuses against the Eucharist and "lack of respect in the sacred sphere," and reiterated existing norms regarding the Eucharist at Mass.

Priest, 71, murdered in Mexico by robbers

July 10, 2017

MEXICO CITY – A 71-year-old priest was found murdered July 5 in suburban Mexico City, marking another attack on clergy in a country with a soaring homicide rate.

London hospital seeks another hearing in Charlie Gard case

July 10, 2017

LONDON, England – Great Ormond Street Hospital in London is applying for a new hearing with the high court after new evidence suggests the critically ill baby could benefit from an experimental treatment.

Return of Guam archbishop accused of sex abuse would be disastrous: coadjutor

July 10, 2017

AGANA, Guam – No matter the outcome of a Vatican trial against Guam's archbishop, Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of Agana should not return to lead the archdiocese, said the archdiocese's coadjutor.

Pope Francis to beatify Colombian martyrs during September visit

July 10, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis will beatify a priest and a bishop martyred in Colombia when he visits the country in September, a Vatican spokesman said.

Economic solutions need broader vision, Pope tells G-20 leaders

July 10, 2017

VATICAN CITY – World leaders attending the Group of 20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, must reflect on the repercussions their decisions may have on the entire global community and not just their own countries, Pope Francis said.

Bishops say Venezuela aims to install 'military dictatorship'

July 10, 2017

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela's bishops said the country's government aims to install a "military dictatorship, socialist, Marxist and communist."

New Salvadorian cardinal's first assignment is to work for peace in Korea

July 10, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Celebrating a Mass in his native El Salvador, newly created Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez said his first major assignment will be to travel to South Korea for a meeting on how to achieve peace with North Korea.

Nuclear weapons ban treaty has challenge of actual disarmament occurring

July 10, 2017

WASHINGTON – The passage of a United Nations treaty banning the possession of nuclear weapons comes at a time when the majority of world's nations are frustrated with the slow pace of nuclear disarmament.

Bishop to South Sudan: Declare bankruptcy

July 10, 2017

JUBA, South – The head of the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference challenged South Sudan to admit it is bankrupt after it failed to raise the funds to host Independence Day celebrations for a third year running.

Philippine bishops appeal for return to peace in south of country

July 10, 2017

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Catholic bishops appealed for a "return to normalcy and peace ... as soon as possible," as violence continues in the southern part of the country.

July 11

U.S. House passes pair of bills aimed at tighter immigration enforcement

July 11, 2017

WASHINGTON – The United States House of Representatives on June 29 passed two bills in an effort to crack down on undocumented immigration and sanctuary cities.

Pope Francis creates new path to beatification under ‘offering of life’

July 11, 2017

VATICAN CITY – On Tuesday Pope Francis declared a new category of Christian life suitable for consideration of beatification called “offering of life” – in which a person has died prematurely through an offering of their life for love of God and neighbour.