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June 1, 2020
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Catholic bishops said May 29 they "are broken-hearted, sickened and outraged to watch another video of an African American man being killed before our very eyes."
VATICAN CITY -- To prevent fraud and corruption, uphold Catholic principles and save money, Pope Francis has issued a new set of laws covering contracts for the purchase of goods, property and services for both the Roman Curia and Vatican City State offices.
WARSAW, Poland -- Bosnian church leaders defended their decision to hold a Mass for civilians and former soldiers slaughtered by victorious communist forces in Yugoslavia, despite international condemnations and domestic protests.
VATICAN CITY -- Just as the apostles were united once they received the Holy Spirit, the church is united by that same spirit and not by keeping company just with those who agree on a certain interpretation of Christian teaching, Pope Francis said on Pentecost.
June 2, 2020
LIMA, Peru -- Diego Ramirez, a single father in a rural village in southern Guatemala, worked in a restaurant and kept a chicken farm, selling the birds in a market to support his three daughters.
MANCHESTER, England -- An English bishop urged the U.K. government to take action against violations of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visited the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington June 2 shortly before he was expected to sign an executive order at the White House to expand U.S. support for international religious freedom efforts.
It could be a year or longer before churches in Canada can begin welcoming large numbers of worshippers, said a member of the country’s Special Advisory Committee on COVID-19.
OTTAWA -- The case against an Ottawa Jesuit priest for violating Ontario’s abortion clinic bubble zone restrictions could go on for years, the lawyer for Fr. Tony Van Hee says.
June 3, 2020
VATICAN CITY -- In the story of the patriarch Abraham -- honored by Jews, Christians and Muslims -- faith becomes a direct relationship with God that is marked by constant prayer, which sometimes takes the form of "debating" with God, Pope Francis said.
MANCHESTER, England -- Politicians in Northern Ireland rejected an "extreme" new abortion law imposed on the province from Parliament in London.
On May 14, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled the first phase of the province’s cautious re-opening strategy. Approved businesses received the green light to resume operations if in compliance with the safety protocols advised by public health.
COVID-19 has shut down schools and halted public rallies, but it couldn’t stop young pro-lifers from supporting their cause at the second Toronto March for Life on May 15.
Is the closure of churches and the suspension of the public celebration of Holy Mass a religious liberty issue?
June 4, 2020
The 88-year-old godmother of palliative care in Ontario knows exactly what’s wrong with long-term care in the province. Much of it is motivated by profit.
BEIJING -- Catholics are upset about a directive from China's communist government asking priests to "preach on patriotism" as a condition for reopening liturgical services, suspended earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was sad news to see the once dominant Toronto Star sold for a mere pittance of $52 million. Only 16 years ago, Torstar Corp., the parent company of the newspaper, was trading above $30 a share and worth about $2.4 billion.
June 5, 2020
What did Jesus mean by “this is My body”?
MUDGEE, Australia -- Australia's bishops and religious are considering the recommendations for change in a 208-page review into the governance of the church.
Closed churches have provided a blunt reminder of how much we rely on our parish priests — and perhaps sometimes take them for granted.