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Church must encourage couples who remain faithful, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While the Catholic Church tries to help people whose marriages have failed remain or return to an active Catholic life, it also must express its admiration for people who remain faithful to their marriage vows despite great difficulty, …
Pope marks third anniversary of election with talk on mercy
IMAGE: CNS/Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis celebrated the third anniversary of his election with a simple Tweet — “Pray for me” — and the usual Sunday recitation of the Angelus prayer with tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. In his talk …
Photographer’s life work to expose horrors of global human trafficking
IMAGE: CNS photo/Sam Lucero, The Compass By Sam Lucero DE PERE, Wis. (CNS) — Lisa Kristine was 11 when her aunt and uncle gave her an Olympus 35 mm camera. From a converted darkroom in her home in California, she developed black-and-white film and printed images of family and friends. …
Auschwitz sets up tour dates just for World Youth Day pilgrims
IMAGE: CNS/Nancy Wiechec By Nancy Wiechec OSWIECIM, Poland (CNS) — The Auschwitz memorial and museum is setting aside days exclusively for World Youth Day pilgrims who want to tour the former Nazi death camp. The museum has set aside July 20-28 and Aug. 1-3 for participants in World Youth Day, …
Challenging questions can be sign of faith, preacher tells pope
IMAGE: CNS/Cristian Gennari By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At the end of a Lenten retreat focused on questions in the Gospels, Servite Father Ermes Ronchi told Pope Francis and senior members of the Roman Curia that it is tempting to bristle when the faithful ask challenging questions, but …
Pope approves new financial regulations for sainthood causes
IMAGE: CNS photo/Ettore Ferrari, EPA By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In an effort to ensure greater financial transparency and accountability, Pope Francis approved new regulations governing the financial contributions given for sainthood causes, the Vatican announced. The new “norms on the administration of goods of the causes …
Holy Year brings more people to confessionals in St. Peter’s Basilica
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The number of people going to confession in St. Peter’s Basilica increased noticeably in the first months of Year of Mercy, but not among English-speakers, who apparently are staying away from Europe out of fear of terrorism, said the …
Students’ speaking invitation to Planned Parenthood CEO draws criticism
By Richard Szczepanowski WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Archdiocese of Washington has criticized a Georgetown University student group’s invitation to the president of Planned Parenthood to speak on campus. In a statement, the archdiocese said the issue is not about free speech because “lacking in this choice by the student group …
Catholic silence on involvement in Middle East called ‘massive failure’
IMAGE: (CNS photo/Mohammed Badra, EPA By Beth Griffin NEW YORK (CNS) — “The most massive failure of the Catholic community at all levels in the past 20 years has been to address the question of our ongoing involvement in the Middle East,” according to San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy. …
Preacher to Curia: Christians wounded by clerical greed, pedophilia
IMAGE: CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano, handout By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sexual abuse of minors and greed by members of the clergy have left Christians wounded, a Servite priest told the pope and Vatican officials during their Lenten retreat. “Pedophilia and the attachment to money are the …