Christians who reject all refugees are ‘hypocrites,’ pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Giorgio Onorati, EPA By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Meeting a pilgrimage of Catholics and Lutherans from Germany, Pope Francis said he does not like “the contradiction of those who want to defend Christianity in the West, and, on the other hand, are against refugees and other …
Franciscan focuses on education, community building in Jamaica
As a child, Franciscan Father Jim Bok said he “never” considered become a missionary. “Like many little boys back then, I used to ‘play priest’ with Necco Wafers. We had mission carnivals at school to raise money, but being a missionary was never in my hopes and dreams. I thought …
Letter asks Obama, Congress to disavow bias claim in commission report
IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — A letter to President Barack Obama and congressional leaders asks them to “renounce publicly” a contentious sentence in the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ report that equates religious freedom with discrimination. The letter, dated Oct. 7 and released Oct. 12, …
As outrage over lewd comments piles up, Trump struggles among Catholics
IMAGE: CNS photo/Jim Young, Reuters By Rhina Guidos WASHINGTON (CNS) — Hours before the Oct. 9 presidential debate began, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani invoked St. Augustine of Hippo on a Sunday morning political news show to defend the man he was supporting for president. “Ever read ‘The Confessions’ …
Latino Catechists enrich local church
By Sister Tracy Kemme, SC Ever Reynoso struggled to find a Catholic parish that would welcome Latino immigrants, when he arrived in Cincinnati in 2004 after an arduous journey from Guatemala. Twelve years later, he is studying to be a catechist in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Dina Beach, the Assistant …
Pope: Simple gestures, not superpowers, needed to start a revolution
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — All it takes is just one person carrying out one simple, loving act of mercy every day to start a revolution and stamp out the “virus of indifference,” Pope Francis said. Sharing God’s mercy is not about expending a huge …
End ‘inhumane’ hostilities now, rescue civilians in Syria, pope pleads
IMAGE: CNS photo/Bassam Khabieh, Reuters By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the wake of intensified attacks in Syria, Pope Francis called for an immediate cease-fire — even if temporary — so that civilians, especially children, could be rescued from the ruins. Emphasizing that his thoughts and prayers are …
Cardinal-designate Tobin made news defending church aid to refugees
INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) — Last December, Cardinal-designate Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis made national news by defending the decision of his archdiocese to resettle a Syrian refugee family through the archdiocese’s Catholic Charities agency — a decision that went against Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s ban on resettling Syrian refugees in the …
Catholic Charities agencies assess damage, begin helping storm victims
IMAGE: CNS photo/Chris Keane, Reuters By Dennis Sadowski WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic Charities agencies joined emergency response efforts in coastal communities in four Southeastern states as residents and parish staffers began returning to assess the damage Hurricane Matthew left behind. Some evacuation orders remained in effect in South Carolina, where …
Pope offers red hat to priest whose story moved him to tears
IMAGE: CNS photo/Massimiliano Migliorato, Catholic Press Photo By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The story of how an Albanian priest endured decades of imprisonment, torture and forced labor during his country’s communist crackdown against the church brought Pope Francis to tears. During the pope’s 2014 visit to Tirana, Cardinal-designate …