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January 2020

January 1

Pope Francis: 'A victory for women is a victory for humanity'

January 1, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- The world will not know peace unless there is an end to violence against women, the exploitation of their bodies and the denial of their dignity, Pope Francis said on the feast of Mary, Mother of God.

Pope Francis apologizes for 'incident' with woman in St. Peter's Square

January 1, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis began the New Year with an apology for losing his patience the night before with a woman who grabbed his hand and yanked him closer to her while he was greeting people in St. Peter's Square.

January 2

USCCB president condemns anti-Semitic violence

January 2, 2020

LOS ANGELES -- Decrying the acts of religious violence that have taken place during the Christmas season, the president of the U.S. bishops declared: "Violence in the name of God is blasphemy."

January 3

London cardinal condemns hate speech after anti-Semitic graffiti appears

January 3, 2020

MANCHESTER, England -- An English cardinal has condemned "all expressions of hatred" after anti-Semitic graffiti was daubed across shops, cafes and a synagogue in London.

Pope Francis tells health workers to 'uphold truest human right, the right to life'

January 3, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Health care professionals always must "promote the dignity and life of each person and reject any compromise in the direction of euthanasia, assisted suicide or suppression of life, even in the case of terminal illness," Pope Francis said.

Iraqi cardinal: Innocents will 'be the fuel' for fire after drone strike

January 3, 2020

Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Sako, responding to a U.S. drone attack in Baghdad that killed Iran's top general, said "wisdom is required to avoid the 'volcanic eruption' we are about to face."

As bush fires continue to rage in Australia, local Catholics seek prayers

January 3, 2020

As some of the worst wildfires in Australian history rage across four states, thousands of people in affected areas in New South Wales and Victoria continue to be evacuated to safety.

January 5

God's Word on Sunday: Healing the world is a mission for all

January 5, 2020

Baptism of the Lord, Jan. 12 (Year A) Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 The servant of God described in Isaiah is truly a wondrous and powerful individual. He will establish justice in the land and on the Earth.

January 6

Pope Francis prays for dialogue as tensions mount between U.S., Iran

January 6, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis led pilgrims in prayers for peace as tensions between the United States and Iran escalated following the assassination of a top Iranian general.

Faith is the worship of God, not oneself, Pope Francis says on Epiphany

January 6, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Worshipping the Lord as the Three Kings did involves making a journey "from the greatest form of bondage: slavery to oneself," Pope Francis said on the feast of the Epiphany.

Church workers join aid distribution after Jakarta floods leave 60 dead

January 6, 2020

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Caritas Indonesia (Karina) has joined the Jakarta Archdiocese in distributing aid to people hard hit by floods that have killed dozens of people in and around Indonesia's capital.

Following terrorist attack, Kenyan Catholic leaders sound alarm

January 6, 2020

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Catholic leaders in Kenya are sounding an alarm after a terror attack killed three Americans and forced local people to flee.

January 7

'No end in sight to the horror': Australian bishops respond to fires

January 7, 2020

CANBERRA, Australia -- Saying that "there is no end in sight to the horror which confronts us," Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the bishops have implemented a national response to months of wildfires.

New rules in China target unregistered Catholic, Protestant churches

January 7, 2020

SIEM REAP, Cambodia -- The Chinese government has targeted unregistered Catholic and Protestant churches with a new expansion of rules and regulations governing religious organizations.

Campus pro-life group wins appeal over security fees

January 7, 2020

Alberta’s top court has sided with a pro-life group that claimed a security fee imposed by the University of Alberta violated its right to freedom of expression.

January 8

Catholic church damaged by earthquakes in Puerto Rico

January 8, 2020

WASHINGTON -- At least one person has died and one Catholic church was destroyed by the latest of a series of earthquakes to rock Puerto Rico.

Sisters of Sion ‘horrified’ by anti-Semitic attacks

January 8, 2020

A spike in attacks on Jews in North America and Europe has prompted the Sisters of Sion in Canada to speak out.

Life's trials are training ground for Christian compassion, Pope Francis says

January 8, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Christians survive trials and tribulations with the help of their faith in Christ and pay it forward by being compassionate toward others who suffer, Pope Francis said.

After missile attack, USCCB president urges leaders to seek peace

January 8, 2020

WASHINGTON -- Hours after Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement calling for urgent prayers "that our world's leaders will pursue dialogue and seek peace."

Speaking Out: Sunday Mass more than an obligation

January 8, 2020

Once upon a Sunday in Ordinary Time, I happened upon a church in Toronto. It was a pleasant — and all too rare — inconvenience to find the pews so packed that people had to stand outside the front doors just to hear the words of the Mass. At the time, it was a scene so unfamiliar to me that it made me reflect more deeply on how precious the Mass truly is.