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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

by Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Mar 11, 2021 / 04:00 pm MT (CNA).- A Catholic couple in Peoria, Illinois, is asking for the intercession of hometown hero Ven. Fulton Sheen to save the life of their unborn son. Royce and Elise Hood, parents of six children including one in utero, …

by Kate Scanlon Washington D.C., Mar 12, 2021 / 11:00 am MT (CNA).- Catholic bishops and prominent theologians and ethicists say that although there is not an obligation to receive a COVID vaccine, Catholics should consider the strong moral argument in favor of doing so. Regarding moral concerns over the …

Vatican City, Mar 12, 2021 / 05:00 am MT (CNA).- The president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch, has supported a suggestion that Catholics and Orthodox work to agree on a common date to celebrate Easter. A representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the World …

CNA Staff, Mar 12, 2021 / 03:00 am MT (CNA).- A third of all German Catholics are considering leaving the Church, according to a new survey published on Thursday. The representative study, unveiled March 11, was conducted by the Erfurt-based opinion research institute INSA Consulere on behalf of the Catholic …

Chicago, Ill., Mar 11, 2021 / 07:01 pm MT (CNA).- The Archdiocese of Chicago announced this week the development of several new parish groupings as part of the “Renew My Church” plan. The archdiocese announced the decision March 9 and 10. The plan is to combine 13 parishes into five …

by CNA Staff CNA Staff, Mar 11, 2021 / 08:31 pm MT (CNA).- The American Civil Liberties Union has received a major donation from a billionaire heir whose LGBT activism includes both funding for efforts to limit religious freedom and funding for Christian groups – including Catholic dissenters – that …