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December 7, 2017
EDMONTON – Reconciliation with Church a struggle, says former AFN chief Fontaine. After decades of turbulent history with the Catholic Church, Indigenous peoples are now committed to healing the fractured relationship, says the former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
December 8, 2017
VATICAN – On Friday’s Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis offered his own ‘beauty secret’ – with Mary as model – saying beauty does not come from age or appearance, but from living a virtuous life rooted in scripture.
Pope Francis is calling for a new translation of one of the lines from the world’s most famous prayer, the Our Father.
December 9, 2017
2nd Sunday of Advent, Dec. 10 (Year B) Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalm 85; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8 There is a schedule or plan known only to God and then there is the human calendar, but the two are rarely the same. That is where our trouble begins.
VATICAN – Pope Francis’ skill at walking political and pastoral tightropes was put to the test in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a formal investigation of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest provider of abortions, for their role in the alleged sale of baby body parts.
December 10, 2017
VATICAN – The Catholic Church's care for the sick, especially through Catholic-run hospitals, is an antidote to "the business mentality that is seeking worldwide to turn health care into a profit-making enterprise," Pope Francis said.
WASHINGTON, D.C., – A federal court has denied relief to the Archdiocese of Washington, in its request for an injunction that would have allowed it to run metro ads encouraging riders to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
EDMONTON – Margie Harper entered the hospital last year on the first day of Lent, her forehead still bearing a dark smudge from the Ash Wednesday Mass.
The money helps, but Ontario’s new initiatives to help victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking still face some hurdles, warns Catholic Family Services of Toronto.
The latest number of police-reported hate crimes in this country is small, but that shouldn’t be comforting news to Canadians.
The plight of workers on India’s tea estates will not go unnoticed by the rest of the world if Jesuit Fr. Lalit Tirkey has his way.
The only miracle that Jesus performed recounted in all four Gospels is the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, more commonly called the feeding of the 5,000 (or 4,000 in Mark’s Gospel, but who was counting precisely?).
VATICAN – Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 notice that he will be moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the Holy See has expressed its concern for recent violent outbreaks and urged leaders to promote peace and security.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is known for its wineries, charming old main street and a possible future prime minister — 14-year-old Bethany Poltl.
December 11, 2017
VATICAN – Leading lay experts and top Vatican officials have joined forces this week to talk about how they can collaborate in addressing key areas of modern concern, placing a special emphasis on the role of laypeople.
December 12, 2017
MUNICH, Germany – The controversy regarding Amoris Laetitia has come to an end, according to German cardinal Walter Kasper.
Living a Christian life, too often seen as adherence to a list of “do’s” and “don’ts,” is better understood as creative participation in the artistry of the Holy Spirit. Each of us is given a mission in God’s eternal plan, a mission we are called to carry out with love, creativity and joy.
VATICAN – Just like a plant needs sun and nourishment to survive, every Christian needs the light of Sunday and the sustenance of the Eucharist to truly live, Pope Francis said.
As Pope Francis questions the wording of the Our Father, perhaps the Church should pray that his concerns lead us not into altercation.