Cardinal Lacroix gets new role at Vatican
VATICAN CITY - Three months after he gave 19 new cardinals their red hats, Pope Francis gave new responsibilities to the 16 who are under the age of 80, including Quebec's Cardinal Gerald Lacroix.
Former Vatican No. 2 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone denies financial wrongdoing
VATICAN CITY - The Italian cardinal who served as the Vatican’s No. 2 official under Pope Benedict XVI has rejected allegations that he mishandled 15 million euros ($20 million) from Vatican bank accounts.
No shortcuts to the Lord
Ascension of the Lord (Year A) June 1 (Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20)
The people who witnessed the ascension of Jesus didn’t really understand what God was up to and they were not exactly in sync with the mind and heart of God. We perhaps share more with them than we care to admit.
Dying into safe hands
It’s hard to say something consoling in the face of death, even when the person who died lived a full life and died in the best of circumstances. It’s especially hard when the one who’s died is a young person, still in need of nurturing and care in this life, and when that young person dies in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Vatican’s financial watchdog reports ‘notable’ spike in shady transactions
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican’s financial watchdog has reported a dramatic increase in suspicious transactions at the Vatican bank, but officials sought to downplay any rise in criminal activity.
Vatican says no movement (yet) on sainthood for Oscar Romero
VATICAN CITY - Despite fevered speculation in the media and across Latin America, the Vatican says Pope Francis has not advanced slain Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero toward sainthood — at least, not yet.
Pope Francis will take rabbi and Muslim leader with him to Holy Land
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis will be accompanied on his first visit to the Middle East by Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Muslim leader Omar Abboud — two friends from Buenos Aires.
True followers have Jesus’ guidance
Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year A) May 25 (Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21)
The proclamation of the Gospel took hold in a very powerful way in Samaria. The Samaritans received the Word enthusiastically. Exorcisms, healings and miracles were the order of the day. This doesn’t make much of an impression on us now — we have heard it so many times, so what is the big deal?
A pilgrimage through nature, desire and soul
Nature, desire and soul, we rarely integrate these well. Yet they are so inextricably linked that how we relate to one deeply colours the others; and, indeed, spirituality itself might be defined as what we each do in terms of integrating these three in our lives.
Vatican official voices opposition to automated weapons systems
VATICAN CITY - No matter how sophisticated and how many algorithms are programmed to help a drone or other machine make calculations before firing on a target, autonomous weapons systems could never comply with international human rights law, a Vatican official said.
Pope Paul VI to be beatified this fall
VATICAN CITY - After weeks of speculation, Pope Francis made it official on May 10 that Pope Paul VI could become the latest pope poised to become a saint after a miracle was accredited to Paul’s intercession.