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Catholic News Agency
Massachusetts bishops decry push for abortion expansion

by Matt Hadro Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 13, 2020 / 10:30 am MT (CNA).- Catholic bishops in Massachusetts are fighting a state measure to expand legal abortion. An amendment adopted by the state house on Thursday would allow for abortions in certain circumstances throughout pregnancy, a move the state’s Catholic …
‘A really joyful journey’: Preparing people with intellectual disabilities to receive the sacraments

CNA Staff, Nov 14, 2020 / 08:00 am MT (CNA).- As book titles go, the “Directory for Catechesis” is hardly the catchiest. But this volume could potentially transform the lives of thousands of people. That is the conviction of Gail Williams, center manager at Caritas St. Joseph in Hendon, north …
Archbishop calls on Catholics to ‘take personal responsibility’ for aiding the poor

CNA Staff, Nov 15, 2020 / 05:31 am MT (CNA).- Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, encouraged Catholics to exit their comfort zones as they reach out to the poor and needy in their midst. The archbishop spoke November 12 …
Pope Francis: Stretch out your hand to the poor

Vatican City, Nov 15, 2020 / 06:20 am MT (CNA).- Jesus is telling us today to stretch out our hand to the poor, Pope Francis said in his Angelus address Sunday. Speaking from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square Nov. 15, the fourth World Day of the Poor, the pope …
‘I couldn’t fix myself’: Bishop Conley opens up about mental health recovery

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Nov 14, 2020 / 03:45 am MT (CNA).- In December 2019, Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln announced he was going on a medical leave of absence. Citing diagnoses of depression and anxiety, as well as chronic insomnia and debilitating tinnitus (a constant …
Delaware agrees to treat church services neutrally in settlement over COVID restrictions

CNA Staff, Nov 13, 2020 / 04:40 pm MT (CNA).- The governor of Delaware has settled a federal lawsuit over church-related COVID-19 restrictions, which he had imposed at the start of the pandemic in March. In exchange for dropping the lawsuit, Governor John Carney agreed this week that in any …
China’s five-year plan proposal stresses eugenics in birth policy, says expert

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Nov 13, 2020 / 10:00 am MT (CNA).- The Chinese government’s latest five-year plan proposal contains a birth policy with an emphasis on eugenics, a China scholar said this week. China, known for its decades-long one-child policy, is now looking to counter its aging population …
Religious freedom becoming ‘second tier right’ warns Supreme Court Justice

by Christine Rousselle Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 13, 2020 / 11:30 am MT (CNA).- Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has spoken of his concern that religious liberty is under threat in the United States. The justice spoke out on Thursday about a range of issues which, he said, were challenging …
Tennessee governor delays execution of man with ‘intellectual disability’

CNA Staff, Nov 11, 2020 / 11:30 am MT (CNA).- The governor of Tennessee has delayed the execution of an intellectually disabled man due to the coronavirus pandemic. The execution of Pervis Payne was scheduled for December 3. It is now set for April 9, 2021. The bishops of Tennessee …
Military archbishop praises chaplains, supporters in Veterans Day message

CNA Staff, Nov 11, 2020 / 12:24 am MT (CNA).- In a message for Veterans Day, the archbishop for the U.S. military services voiced thanks for donors and those who pray for Catholics in military service. “The fruits of your prayers and charitable acts enrich the lives of our Nation’s …