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Complaining, inertia are seeds of the devil, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Many Christians are caught in a trap of complaining about everything and doing nothing about it, Pope Francis said in his morning Mass. The sin of sloth, marked by careless indifference, apathy and self-pity, is a "poison, a fog …
Time: Lockdown’s unexpected gift
IMAGE: CNS photo/Joanna Kohorst By Joanna Kohorst ROME (CNS) — I was video chatting with my childhood friend yesterday. We haven’t talked in almost a year and we were organizing a virtual happy hour with our high school friends. Why hadn’t we thought about doing this before? I told my …
Pope: Personnel, priests caring for COVID-19 patients are heroes
IMAGE: Fotogramma/IPA/ABACA via Reuters By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the number of priests and religious dying from coronavirus-related illnesses rising, Pope Francis offered his prayers for those who died after being infected helping COVID-19 patients and their communities. At least 50 priests, four nuns and at least …
Forget me not: Prison ministry faces challenges of global pandemic
IMAGE: CNS photo/Flavio Lo Scalzo, Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As more countries continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the term "lockdown," normally used to describe confining prisoners to their cells, has taken on a whole new meaning. Yet for Stefania …
Encore: Forty years after his martyrdom, St. Romero influences U.S. church
IMAGE: CNS photo/Octavio Duran By Rhina Guidos WASHINGTON (CNS) — In life, El Salvador’s St. Oscar Romero had an open line of communication with the church in the United States, whose leaders and laity often supported the archbishop of San Salvador when he objected to military aid or training of …
North American College decides to send all its seminarians home
IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy of the Pontifical North American College By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — With more than half of its seminarians already back in the United States, the Pontifical North American College in Rome is sending its students home. “In consultation with our board of governors and the U.S. …
Catholic agencies seek stimulus funding to meet expected surge in clients
IMAGE: CNS photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit By Dennis Sadowski CLEVELAND (CNS) — Several Catholic charitable agencies are among more than 200 nonprofits urging Congress to include $60 billion in aid to help them meet an expected surge in requests for services from unemployed people. The coming wave of clients …
South African Jesuit: Informal settlements ‘perfect storm’ for COVID-19
IMAGE: CNS photo/Thomas Mukoya, Reuters By Bronwen Dachs CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) — Africa’s informal settlements, where running water is scarce, make for a "perfect storm" as COVID-19 spreads through the continent, said a prominent South African Jesuit. In these crowded settlements on the edges of Africa’s cities, taps …
Pope Francis to give a special Urbi et Orbi blessing amid coronavirus pandemic

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Mar 22, 2020 / 11:30 am (CNA).- Pope Francis announced Sunday that he will give an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing this week with the opportunity for Catholics to receive a plenary indulgence by tuning in via media. “This Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m., …
Archbishop Aymond of New Orleans has coronavirus

Washington D.C., Mar 23, 2020 / 11:33 am (CNA).- The Archbishop of New Orleans has tested positive for coronavirus. He is the first U.S. bishop known to have tested positive for the virus, which is now a global pandemic. “Recently, I had very mild symptoms, which included fever only. Out …