Washington D.C., Mar 18, 2021 / 08:38 am MT (CNA).- The White House on Wednesday claimed that Pope Francis has affirmed “the safety and efficacy” of the three COVID vaccines approved for use in the U.S. However, the latest statement of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith …

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, …

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 …

CNA Staff, Mar 15, 2021 / 05:52 am MT (CNA).- Here is the full text of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s response to a question on the blessing of same-sex unions, followed by an accompanying commentary, issued March 15, 2021: Responsum of the Congregation for the …

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 …

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 …

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 …