Author Archive
USCCB president offers reflection, prayer in this time of the coronavirus
IMAGE: CNS photo/Victor Aleman, Angelus News By WASHINGTON (CNS) — Acknowledging the fragility of human life because of the coronavirus, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, shared a prayer for people who are ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, …
Rome cardinal closes all churches, then modifies decision
IMAGE: CNS photo/Junno Arocho Esteves By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, papal vicar of Rome, said he spoke to Pope Francis March 12 before ordering the closure of all churches in Rome because of the coronavirus pandemic; the next day, he said he spoke to the …
Churches, chaplains, nuns have unexpected role in COVID-19 crisis
IMAGE: CNS photo/Sergio Agazzi, IPA/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters By Carol Glatz ROME (CNS) — In a nation where the faithful are not allowed to assemble for Mass, one church in northern Italy is full. The Church of All Saints in Bergamo — located in a cemetery in Italy’s hardest-hit Lombardy region …
Pew survey shows divide among religious believers over views about Trump
IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — President Donald Trump may be as divisive to religionists as he seems to be to other groups in American society, as indicated by the latest Pew Research Center survey. "We’re seeing a big divide between white Christian and minority Christians …
How Italy went from ‘wash your hands’ to ‘stay at home’
IMAGE: CNS graphic/Lucy Barco, The Catholic Register By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — Acknowledging how difficult it can be to adapt to restrictive measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, Pope Francis told people watching his morning Mass March 12 that it was for "our own good." After …
Pope: Governments need prayers to make hard decisions for common good
IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis asked people to pray for government officials and leaders who are tasked with making critical decisions and taking drastic measures that may make people unhappy. Each day at his livestreamed morning Mass, the pope has been dedicating …
Pandemic a time of understanding value of brotherhood, cardinal says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While the coronavirus pandemic gripping the world highlights the frailty of human life, it is also an opportunity for people to unite in solidarity, a Vatican official said. "For each person, believer or nonbeliever, this is a good …
Update: Make prayer part of your hand-washing to fight virus, says diocese
IMAGE: CNS illustration/courtesy Diocese of Dallas By WASHINGTON (CNS) — "How to hand-wash Catholic style" reads the headline on an informational graphic from the Diocese of Dallas. It suggests Catholics say the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be as they follow the protocol for hand-washing being recommended around the …
Update: West Virginia bishop requires new protocols for safe environment program
IMAGE: CNS photo/Colleen Rowan, The Catholic Spirit By Colleen Rowan WHEELING, W.Va. (CNS) — Expanding the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston’s Safe Environment Program, Bishop Mark E. Brennan is requiring additional protocols to increase safety and reduce risk of sexual abuse in Catholic schools and parishes. In a Feb. 20 letter to …
Christ’s Gospel can satisfy hunger, thirst for justice, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Amid a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic, Pope Francis soldiered on with his weekly general audience and called on people to not forget those who suffer from war and violence. During a live broadcast from the …