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December 12, 2019
VATICAN CITY -- The saints are "the true light of the church," so before they are proposed to all Catholics for imitation and veneration, a scrupulous investigation is required, Pope Francis said.
VATICAN CITY -- The world does not need more empty words, it needs committed, active peacemakers who do not exclude or manipulate, but are open to respectful dialogue, Pope Francis said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace Jan. 1.
EDMONTON -- Sometimes the best gifts are not bought at a shopping mall, wrapped in paper and tied with ribbon.
Pope Francis is increasingly critical of the lack of political will to grapple with the growing threat of climate change. The Pope’s frustration raises the critical issue of how whole societies can be persuaded to change their behaviour to avert threats to their existence.
VATICAN CITY -- Celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Francis said she reminds Catholics of her true essence as a woman, a mother and a "mestiza" or person of mixed race.
December 13, 2019
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. -- After a fire destroyed Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Franklin Lakes in the early hours of Dec. 11, the suspected arsonist was arrested. He was receiving burn treatment at a local hospital prior to his court hearing.
VATICAN CITY -- The Christmas season is a time to reflect on what life is all about, Pope Francis told an international group of performers.
A second attempt to have the anti-religious symbols provisions of Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 suspended until court challenges to the legality of the bill are determined has failed.
CANBERRA, Australia -- The Australian government has released its second "exposure draft" of its religious discrimination legislation, winning widespread praise from faith groups, including the Catholic bishops, following changes to the original legislation released in October.
Anthony McCarten wants the truth and nothing but the truth. To get at the truth, he has made up a fictional dialogue between the Church’s two living popes.
MANCHESTER, England -- A British bishop said he was relieved by the election defeat of political parties committed to liberalizing Britain's abortion laws, but he was "not particularly enthused" by the Conservative Party agenda. A British cardinal called for a fresh start "in more ways than politics."
Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is already scooping up movie awards despite its swerve to Netflix barely a month after being released in theatres.
As Ottawa prepares to rewrite Canada’s euthanasia law, palliative care doctors and hospice operators are urging lawmakers to acknowledge that palliative care and medically induced death are separate and distinct things.
December 14, 2019
A vicious circle of disasters and unresolved injustices are feeding one another and starving the citizens of Haiti. But the crisis is widely unknown.
VATICAN CITY -- The heady realm of philosophy got special accolades in November when the preeminent Canadian philosopher, Charles Taylor, won the Ratzinger Prize.
VANCOUVER -- Deacon Rennie Nahanee remembers collecting seafood on the shores of the Tsleil-Waututh reserve, near the Second Narrows Bridge, in the 1960s.
OTTAWA -- Most Canadians believe a faith-based upbringing has a positive impact on society even as a significant minority of Canadians would like the country to become more secular, especially in public life.
December 15, 2019
Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 22 (Year A) Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-Matthew 1:18-24 The Word of God echoes and reverberates throughout human history. It’s the same voice, often with the same words, but they can carry many meanings, depending on the time in which one hears them.
Despite what we’ve learned in the 30 years since the massacre of 14 women at a Montreal university, there still remains so much more that needs to be done, says the principal author of a declaration on violence against women in our society.
SPRUCE GROVE, Alta. -- For Kelsey Papastritas, motherhood is a delicate balancing act.