Orlando shooting victims remembered at Xavier prayer service
Xavier University is 906 miles from the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Fla. but the tears shed on campus Tuesday fell in solidarity with the the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Responding to the June 12 rampage in Orlando that left 49 dead, Xavier University hosted a …
‘A sword has pierced heart’ of city, says Orlando bishop about shooting
IMAGE: CNS photo/Steve Nesius, Reuters By ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) — Orlando Bishop John G. Noonan urged people of faith “to turn their hearts and souls” to God and pray for the victims, the families and first responders following the worst mass shooting in U.S. history June 12. “A sword has …
Doctrinal text looks at increasing harmony among church groups
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Local bishops have an obligation to welcome new movements and communities and guide them, while the groups have an obligation to obey the local bishop and avoid the appearance of setting up a parallel church, said a new Vatican document. …
‘Witnesses to Freedom’ theme of church’s fortnight for religious liberty
IMAGE: CNS photo/Bob Roller By WASHINGTON (CNS) — “Witnesses to Freedom” is the theme of the U.S. bishops’ fifth annual Fortnight for Freedom, which opens June 21, the vigil of the feast of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, and closes on Independence Day, July 4. The opening Mass will …
Maronite Patriarch will participate in local Fortnight for Freedom event
The crowning event for the 2016 observance of Fortnight for Freedom in Cincinnati will be the visit of the Patriarch of Antioch for Maronites, to bring attention to the plight of Christians currently being persecuted in the Middle East. His Beatitude Mar Bechara Peter Cardinal Rai, the Patriarch of Antioch …
Extreme poverty is a reality, not a faceless statistic, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Hedayatullah Amid, EPA By Junno Arocho Esteves ROME (CNS) — The key to ending extreme poverty and hunger is to recognize that behind every statistic, there is the face of a person who is suffering, Pope Francis said. “Poverty has a face! It has the face of a …
Pope offers prayers for Orlando victims of ‘terrible, absurd violence’
IMAGE: CNS photo/Carlo Allegri, Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis offered prayers for the families of the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, and expressed hope that people would find ways to identify and uproot “the causes of such terrible and absurd violence.” A …
Love, not some idea of perfection, leads to happiness, pope says
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Love and solidarity are what make the world a better place, not a focus on physical perfection and hiding away those who do not fit a commercial ideal, Pope Francis said. “The world does not become better because only apparently …
Pope: Euthanasia is triumph of selfishness, not act of compassion
By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Growing acceptance of euthanasia does not indicate increased compassion, but highlights the rise of a selfish “throwaway culture” that casts aside the sick, the dying and those who do not satisfy the perceived requirements of a healthy life, Pope Francis said. In …
Priest born deaf urges sacraments for children with disabilities
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — No matter how complicated it is to do, all children have a need and a right to religious education and access to the sacraments, said a priest who was born deaf and became blind 16 years ago. Opening the Year of …