Pope says critics won’t stop him from pursuing vision for church
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis said he will continue pressing for a church that is open and understanding despite opposition from some clerics who “say no to everything.” “They do their work and I do mine,” the pope said when asked, “What is your relationship with …
PDF of Maronite Patriarch’s remarks now available
His Beatitude Mar Bechara Peter Cardinal Rai, Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, discussed the struggles of Christians in the Middle East and offered some thoughtful remedies for a solution to the political and religious violence there during a July 1 visit to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. A PDF document of …
Working on Sunday Mass attendance churn is everyone’s job
Danny Diego always wore a huge smile. A guy who had beat childhood polio, he was not a man terribly impressed with obstacles. But as circulation manager of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in Ontario, Calif., 20 years ago, the smile would become a near grimace every New Year’s Day …
Veterans say helping bury the dead with dignity ‘a way of giving back’
IMAGE: CNS photo/Rose Ybarra, The Valley Catholic By Rose Ybarra MISSION, Texas (CNS) — When 66-year-old Army veteran Jacky Eugene Gonzalez was laid to rest at the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery June 22, a group of U.S. military veterans from the Jesus Martinez American Legion Post 93 in …
Maronite patriarch says Christians still important to Middle East during visit to Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Christians continue to play an important cultural and spiritual role in the countries of the Middle East and the exodus of so many refugees fueled by the plagues of war and terrorism needs to be reversed for the sake of the region’s future. That was the heart of the message …
New book with retired Pope Benedict due in early September
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Retired Pope Benedict XVI has given another interview to the journalist and author Peter Seewald, and a German publisher announced it would be released worldwide Sept. 9. Titled “Letzte Gesprache,” (which translates as “last conversations”), the book includes an in-depth conversation with the …
Fortnight for Freedom Central: Daily reflections, prayers and actions
Each year since 2012 dioceses around the country have arrange special events to highlight the importance of defending religious freedom. The Fortnight for Freedom is from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day. To help local Catholics become more …
Relics of Sts. Thomas More, John Fisher draw crowds in Minnesota
IMAGE: CNS photo/Jim Bovin, Catholic Spirit By Maria Wiering ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — Hundreds of Catholics crowded into the Cathedral of St. Paul to venerate the relics of two English saints who are known as icons of religious liberty because of the circumstances of their martyrdom. Relics of St. …
Where silence should reign: Pope will pray, not speak, at Auschwitz
IMAGE: CNS/EPA By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Tears and not words. Prayers and not greetings. During his trip to Poland for World Youth Day, Pope Francis will go to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp. He said he wants to go alone and say nothing. When Pope Francis speaks, …
Mercy isn’t an abstract word, it’s a way of life, pope says
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Mercy is not an abstract concept but a lifestyle that invites Christians to make an examination of conscience and ask themselves if they place the spiritual and material needs of others before their own, Pope Francis said. A Christian …