Posts In Category
National & World News
Where is Pope Francis going in Iraq and why? A CNA Explainer
by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Feb 25, 2021 / 12:00 pm MT (CNA).- In a week’s time, Pope Francis is expected to make history by becoming the first pope to travel to Iraq. His March 5-8 trip will take him from excavations of historical biblical sites dating back thousands of …
House passes Equality Act, which bishops warned would ‘punish’ religious groups

by Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Feb 25, 2021 / 03:00 pm MT (CNA).- The House on Thursday passed the Equality Act, a bill that the U.S. bishops have warned would trample religious freedom protections while codifying gender ideology in federal law. By a vote of 224 to 206, the House …
At hearing, Becerra won’t name single abortion restriction he favors

by Christine Rousselle Washington D.C., Feb 24, 2021 / 03:28 pm MT (CNA).- President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services declined at a hearing Wednesday to state if he would support any theoretical type of restriction on abortion. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) questioned California’s Attorney General …
Virtual conference to focus on St. Joseph

by CNA Staff CNA Staff, Feb 24, 2021 / 03:33 pm MT (CNA).- As part of the Year of Saint Joseph called for by Pope Francis, the National Shrine of St. Joseph will host a virtual conference and rededicate the saint’s statue. The event takes place on March 19, the …
Pope Francis praises ‘exemplary witness’ of Italian ambassador killed in Congo

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Feb 24, 2021 / 04:15 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis expressed his condolences on Tuesday after three people were killed in an attack on a United Nations convoy traveling in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Luca Attanasio, the Italian ambassador to Congo, died of his …
Obituary: Sister Dianna Ortiz, OSU

Sister Dianna Ortiz, 62, an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph for 43 years, died Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Washington, D.C., after a brave battle with cancer. She was raised in Grants, N.M. Sister Dianna called on God to help her survive a traumatic event in her life to …
Virginia legislature votes to abolish the death penalty

Washington D.C., Feb 22, 2021 / 04:00 pm MT (CNA).- Virginia is expected to become the first southern state to abolish the death penalty, after its general assembly voted on Monday to end the practice. The state senate voted 22 to 16 to approve H.B. 2263, which would abolish the …
Vatican archbishop celebrates 90th anniversary of Divine Mercy apparition

CNA Staff, Feb 23, 2021 / 04:00 am MT (CNA).- A Vatican archbishop celebrated the 90th anniversary of the first Divine Mercy apparition on Monday in the Polish city of Płock. Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawłowski, an official at the Vatican Secretariat of State, celebrated Mass on Feb. 22 at the …
USCCB: Equality Act would ‘punish’ religious groups opposed to gender ideology

Washington D.C., Feb 19, 2021 / 04:00 pm MT (CNA).- The U.S. bishops’ conference (USCCB) has come out in opposition to the Equality Act, which was introduced in the U.S. House on Thursday. The bill, introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), would recognize sexual orientation and gender identity as protected …
Pope Francis advances causes of nuns who died in Ebola outbreak

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Feb 20, 2021 / 09:10 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has recognized the heroic virtue of three Italian religious sisters who died from Ebola in Africa during the 1995 outbreak. Sr. Floralba Rondi, Sr. Clarangela Ghilardi, and Sr. Dinarosa Bellerini were members of the Sisters …