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Catholic News Agency
A Catholic guide to March Madness 2021

by Christine Rousselle Washington D.C., Mar 17, 2021 / 04:00 am MT (CNA).- Last year, the official NCAA Basketball tournament–”March Madness”–was canceled and replaced by a decidedly less fun March “madness” of shopping for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and other pandemic supplies. But the real March Madness is back–finally. And …
EWTN to premiere documentary on pro-life icon Joe Scheidler

CNA Staff, Mar 16, 2021 / 07:19 pm MT (CNA).- A Catholic, non-profit law firm has released a documentary highlighting the influence of pro-life leader Joe Scheidler and his journey to the Supreme Court. “Fighting for Life: The Story of NOW v. Scheidler” depicts a nearly three-decade-long legal battle for …
Achel no longer a Trappist beer, after last monks depart abbey

Hasselt, Belgium, Mar 16, 2021 / 08:01 pm MT (CNA).- After the last monks left Achel Abbey earlier this year, the beers produced at Achel Brewery no longer bear the Trappist label. In the beginning of January, there were 14 authentic Trappist beer brands. By the end of the month, …
How a forgotten nun’s visions shed ‘new light’ on the life of St. Joseph

by Courtney Mares CNA Staff, Mar 16, 2021 / 05:00 am MT (CNA).- St. Joseph does not have any words recorded in Sacred Scripture, but the published meditations of an 18th-century Italian nun offer the chance to imagine the details of the Holy Family’s daily life as it might have …
Vatican’s doctrinal office: Catholic Church cannot give blessings to same-sex unions

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Mar 15, 2021 / 05:22 am MT (CNA).- The Vatican’s doctrinal office on Monday clarified that the Catholic Church does not have the power to give liturgical blessings of homosexual unions. Answering the question “does the Church have the power to give the blessing to …
Annual Fatima pilgrimage to be virtual due to pandemic

Fatima, Portugal, Mar 13, 2021 / 04:01 pm MT (CNA).- The Bishop of Leiria-Fátima, António Cardinal dos Santos Marto, announced that the 2021 pilgrimage to Fatima will take place virtually due to existing restrictions in Portugal because of the coronavirus pandemic. The cardinal encouraged the faithful to make a spiritual …
Pope Francis celebrates 500 years of ‘the joy of the Gospel’ in the Philippines

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Mar 14, 2021 / 05:00 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis offered Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday to mark 500 years of Catholic faith in the Philippines. “Dear brothers and sisters, 500 years have passed since the Christian message first arrived in the Philippines. …
Burmese cardinal urges prayer octave for China

Yangon, Burma, Mar 14, 2021 / 09:50 am MT (CNA).- Charles Maung Cardinal Bo of Yangon on Sunday called for the expansion of a day of prayer for the Church in China, established by Benedict XVI, into an octave. In 2007, Benedict designated May 24, the feast of Our Lady …
Priests share hope for new Pittsburgh parish in Black Catholic tradition

by Kate Veik Denver Newsroom, Mar 13, 2021 / 02:00 am MT (CNA).- Last summer, Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh made an important announcement. St. Benedict the Moor, a historic parish in the Hill District near downtown Pittsburgh, would become a personal parish in the Black Catholic tradition. Most parishes …
St. Peter’s Basilica to end private Masses, restrict Masses in extraordinary form

by Andrea Gagliarducci Vatican City, Mar 12, 2021 / 06:01 pm MT (CNA).- A new letter from the Vatican Secretariat of State has banned the private celebration of Masses at side altars in St. Peter’s Basilica, effective March 22. The regulation might seem tailored to meet COVID restrictions, as Italy …