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June 24, 2022

Editorial: Pick a faith lane, Your Holiness

Pope Francis pauses during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican June 15, 2022.

Pope Francis last week issued a welcome call for Catholic theologians to transmit the truths of the faith in a way that will help those of faith live the faith in their daily lives.

Published in Editorial
March 20, 2019

Academy for Life encourages Catholic parents to vaccinate children

A vial of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and an information sheet is seen at Boston Children's Hospital Feb. 26, 2015. Catholic parents should vaccinate their children for the good of their children and the community, and they can do so with a "clear conscience" that "the use of such vaccines does not signify some sort of cooperation in voluntary abortion," said the Pontifical Academy for Life.
VATICAN – Catholic parents should vaccinate their children for the good of their children and the community, and they can do so with a "clear conscience" that "the use of such vaccines does not signify some sort of cooperation in voluntary abortion," said the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Published in International
March 3, 2019

Robotics needs ethical guidelines, speakers say at Vatican meeting

Students demonstrate the Mini Cheetah, a quadruped robot, during presentations to celebrate the new MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge Feb. 26, 2019. Speakers at a Feb. 25-27, 2019, Vatican meeting said the field of robotics needs ethical guidelines.
VATICAN – As robotics play an increasingly greater role in today's world, their technological capabilities must not outpace ethical concerns, said a number of speakers at the Pontifical Academy for Life's workshop on "Robo-ethics: Humans, Machines and Health."
Published in International
February 21, 2019

Speaking Out: Homilies that attract youth

Young people listen to the homily during the closing Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life Jan. 18 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

It’s no secret that the Catholic Church is not a “young kids’ game.” 

Published in YSN: Speaking Out
November 27, 2018

Catholic groups pledge to make church's voice heard at U.N. climate conference

A thermal power plant is seen Nov. 21 near residential buildings in Beijing. As government delegations from across the globe prepare for a Dec. 2-14 U.N. conference on climate change, Catholic organizations are urging radical steps and pledging to make the church's voice heard.
WARSAW, Poland – As government delegations from across the globe prepare for a Dec. 2-14 U.N. conference on climate change, Catholic organizations are pledging to make the church's voice heard.
Published in International
October 30, 2018

'Synodality' in the synod's final document confuses some people

Emilie Callan, a synod delegate from Canada, second from right, attends a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 11.
VATICAN – "Synodality," a key concept of Pope Francis' papacy, was used repeatedly in the final document of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocation discernment.
Published in International
October 29, 2018

Pope closes synod with apology to young people who felt ignored by the Church

Pope Francis leave in procession after celebrating the closing Mass of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 28.
VATICAN – Speaking on behalf of all adult Catholics, Pope Francis formally closed the Synod of Bishops by asking young people for forgiveness.
Published in Reflections
October 26, 2018

Missions accomplished: After 100 years, Scarboro Missions in Toronto is closing its doors

Fr. Craig Strang on his bicycle is given plenty of attention from his pupils in the 1930s.

At 60, Fr. Ron MacDonell is the youngest of the Scarboro Missions priests. Even as his fellow priests back home in Toronto move into a seniors’ residence, MacDonell is working today in the upper reaches of the Amazon basin among Brazil’s Makushi people, bringing together village elders and young people to recover their vanishing language and culture.

Published in Canada
October 22, 2018

Synod members walk to 'share the journey' with migrants, refugees

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines, and other participants in the "Share the Journey" walk arrive near the Vatican Oct. 21. The campaign and 1.5-mile walk were organized by Caritas Internationalis to call attention to the plight of migrants and refugees.
VATICAN – Honduran Bishop Jose Antonio Canales of Danli said that, given what is going on in his country and throughout Central America, he had to walk in the "Share the Journey" campaign of Caritas Internationalis.
Published in International
October 10, 2018

Young people, clerics, need better formation on sexuality, Cardinal Lacroix says

Pope Francis embraces Cardinal Gerald Lacroix of Quebec after celebrating morning Mass in the chapel of his residence at the Vatican Jan. 30, 2017.
VATICAN – Young Catholics, particularly clerics, need better formation on sexuality, affectivity, and the body, Canada's Cardinal Gérald Lacroix told reporters Tuesday, speaking about the 2018 Synod of Bishops.
Published in International
September 7, 2018

'What is legal is not equal to moral', Indian church leaders say after decriminalization of homosexual acts

A LGBT supporter in Bengaluru, India, celebrates Sept. 6 after the country's Supreme Court decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults.
NEW DELHI  – India's Supreme Court ruled in a landmark judgment that homosexual acts between consenting adults are no longer a crime, but church officials said that legal validity does not make such practices morally acceptable.
Published in International
August 14, 2018

Myanmar's Cardinal Bo backs Pope's opposition to death penalty

Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, Myanmar, pictured in a 2017 photo, hailed Pope Francis' admonition that imposing the death penalty is always inadmissible.

MANDALAY, Myanmar – Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, Myanmar, hailed Pope Francis' admonition that imposing the death penalty is always inadmissible.

Published in International
October 18, 2017

#Synod2018: Youth seek pastoral presence from Church

Focus groups in Montreal prepare for Youth Synod. Many dioceses approached consultations in a combination of one or all three methods: online surveys based on the Vatican’s synod questionnaire, consultations with key groups and open town-hall meetings for the general public.
Canadian bishops heard it loud and clear. Young people are looking for accompaniment as the Canadian Catholic Church prepares for the 2018 Synod on Young People.
Published in Canada
July 14, 2017

Despite Melinda Gates’ hopes, Pope can’t change teaching on contraception

In a recent BBC interview, Melinda Gates said she is “optimistic” that the Catholic Church will change church teaching on contraception in order to help women in developing countries.

WASHINGTON – Pope Francis cannot change Church’s long-standing teaching on contraception, despite the hopes of Melinda Gates, says a theology and ethics professor.

Published in Faith
August 23, 2016

Vatican newspaper: 'Amoris Laetitia' is authoritative church teaching

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, holds his copy of Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation on the family, "Amoris Laetitia" ("The Joy of Love"), during a news conference for the release of the document at the Vatican April 8.

VATICAN CITY –Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation on the family is an example of the "ordinary magisterium" – papal teaching – to which Catholics are obliged to give "religious submission of will and intellect," said an article in the Vatican newspaper.

Published in Faith