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May 2018

May 9

Religious freedom efforts in the spotlight as North Korean prisoners freed

May 9, 2018

WASHINGTON – The release of three American prisoners from North Korea was hailed as an important first step in addressing abuses within the nation, as U.S. leaders call for a continued expansion of religious freedom initiatives in U.S. foreign policy.

May 10

Vietnamese nuns attacked protesting construction on disputed land

May 10, 2018

HANOI, Vietnam – St. Paul de Chartres sisters in Vietnam were attacked by construction site guards while they were protesting the building of a house on their former land. One nun was beaten to unconsciousness, reported ucanews.com.

Mexican priest proposed as possible human rights chief

May 10, 2018

MEXICO – The front-runner in Mexico's presidential election said, if he wins July 1, he would appoint an activist priest as his human rights director.

Embezzlement trial of former Vatican bank official begins

May 10, 2018

VATICAN – The Vatican has accused a former director of the Vatican bank and his lawyer of money laundering and embezzlement, saying the men skimmed an estimated 57 million euros (about $68 million) off profits from the sale of Vatican properties.

Young woman tackles disability in Kenya and Toronto

May 10, 2018

Eunice Gichuhi is half a world away from her native country, but that has never stopped her from reaching out to help.

Speaking Out: The power of youth voices

May 10, 2018

When I was elected student trustee for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board a year ago, I had no idea what to expect. What I have learned leaves me both grateful and hopeful.

Be inspired by Mary, Christ's first lay disciple, Pope tells laypeople

May 10, 2018

VATICAN – During a quick morning visit to Tuscany, Pope Francis praised two lay communities there that are dedicated to living out the Gospel values of reciprocal love and cooperation.

German bishops release marriage prep document based on 'Amoris Laetitia'

May 10, 2018

The German bishops' conference has published a document containing key points for marriage preparation based on Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation, "Amoris Laetitia."

National March for Life gets message out despite counter-protest

May 10, 2018

OTTAWA – Thousands of pro-life Canadians participating in the National March for Life May 10 were forced to reverse course by a small counter-demonstration blocking the route.

May 11

Halton school board 'Sanctity of Life' fundraising policy on hold

May 11, 2018

Tensions continued to run high as the Halton Catholic District School Board suspended implementation of its controversial fundraising policy.

Editorial: Return the money

May 11, 2018

Maybe they didn’t get the memo. Maybe it was simple human error. Maybe they simply don’t care.

Church on the Street: Restaurant served big plate of humanity

May 11, 2018

When I started out on the Church on the Street, I gave little thought to some of the logistics of such a ministry apart from determining that it would be 8 p.m. onwards every Thursday evening.

Christian persecution urgently calls churches to seek unity, Pope says

May 11, 2018

VATICAN – Seeking Christian unity is more urgent than ever because of the ongoing persecution of Christians, Pope Francis told an Orthodox leader.

Fr. Raymond J. De Souza: Ave Verum stirs the soul and memories of Rome

May 11, 2018

A former student sent me a notice that caught my attention, for both artistic and pious reasons. The Cantata Singers of Ottawa will be at St. Joseph’s Church later this month where the entire program will consist of settings of the brief Eucharistic and Marian hymn, Ave Verum, including those of Lassus, Byrd, Mozart, Elgar, Liszt, Saint-Saëns and Poulenc.

Peter Stockland: Faith is alive and well in our mainstream

May 11, 2018

Calls for reinvigorating religious public life within our seeming secular monoculture have traditionally relied heavily on morally grounded arguments.

May 12

Cardinal Collins urges Canadian pro-lifers at March for Life to 'speak more loudly by silence'

May 12, 2018

OTTAWA, Ontario – Heeding a call from Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins to "speak more loudly by silence," Canada's largest pro-life march reversed course May 10 after it was blocked for at least 20 minutes by a counterprotest.

Glen Argan: Alberta narrative heads for unhappy end

May 12, 2018

Forty years ago, I moved to Alberta from Saskatchewan imbued with the stereotype that my new province was full of cowboys, fundamentalists and wealthy oil barons who cared nothing about the environment. It didn’t take me long to realize that while there was truth in the stereotype, Alberta had numerous people who fell outside this cartoonish caricature.

May 13

God's word on Sunday: Our path to God lies in service

May 13, 2018

Ascension of the Lord, May 13 (Year B) Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20

Assassination attempt on St. John Paul II stuns world

May 13, 2018

There was worldwide disbelief on May 13, 1981 as word spread that Pope John Paul II had been shot four times in an assassination attempt. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned in 2000 at the request of John Paul. This is The Catholic Register’s report in the wake of the the attempt on the pontiff’s life, from May 23, 1981:

Two new priests ordained for Archdiocese of Toronto

May 13, 2018

“You are servants of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That’s who we are. That’s who the people expect their priests to be,” Cardinal Thomas Collins told his two new priests in his homily.