Vatican is not a ‘den of thieves,’ says top Vatican official
By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican is not “a den of thieves,” and such insinuations are an injustice to employees who are proud to serve the pope and the church, said Archbishop Angelo Becciu, a top official in the Vatican Secretariat of State. Necessary economic and administrative …
Three local priests selected ‘Missionaries of Mercy’ for Pope Francis
Pope Francis will commission 800 priests worldwide to be Missionaries of Mercy during this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, including three priests from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Two of the three are from the Athenaeum, home of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s seminary. Father Anthony Brausch, who serves as Vice Rector and Director of …
No one ‘deserves’ faith; it is a gift, pope says
By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — No one deserves faith and no one can buy it; faith is a gift that changes one’s life and allows people to recognize Jesus as the son of God with the power to forgive sins, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass. …
Politics of mercy: Pope knows ‘welcoming the stranger’ is controversial
IMAGE: CNS/EPA By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Italian comedian talking about a new Pope Francis book was not joking when he said being a minister of God’s mercy can have social and political implications. The corporal works of mercy of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked …
Synagogue visit is chapter in Rome’s unique Catholic-Jewish history
IMAGE: Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — History and geography have combined to make Catholic-Jewish relations in Rome unique, both negatively and positively — a fact highlighted by modern papal visits to the city’s main synagogue just two miles from the Vatican. Pope Francis was scheduled to visit …
Pope to teens: Don’t fall for hate, fearmongers; find nice friends
By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Don’t fall for hate and fearmongering from others; make new friends instead and always help and show concern for others, Pope Francis told the world’s teens. “Be brave and go against the tide, be friends of Jesus, who is the prince of peace,” …
Throwback Thursday: Li’l Sisters keep kids in line
Catholic Schools Week is still a few weeks away, but the Throwback Thursday team couldn’t pass the opportunity to share this cartoon from a 1960s supplement to The Catholic Telegraph-Register. In the cartoon, a pair of young nuns serving in educational ministry discuss student discipline. “I haven’t had a bit …
El Paso Mass scrapped, but not papal Mass across border
By EL PASO, Texas (CNS) — The Diocese of El Paso has scrapped plans for a border Mass that would have taken place at the same time as the closing Mass of Pope Francis’ visit to Mexico in February. However, the Feb. 17 papal Mass at the fairgrounds in Ciudad …
Formed program attracts 145 parish registrations
When Pope Benedict XVI said the Catholic Church could not be credible in its evangelization efforts if it was not in cyberspace, he signaled a new approach for Catholic catechesis – the teaching of the catechism. And with a grant from Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr, 145 of the 200 parishes …
Faithfulness in mercy is God’s way of being, pope says
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God’s mercy is constant and limitless; he is faithful in his mercy for his children, even when they are unfaithful, Pope Francis said. The greatness and power of God unfolds in his “love for us, who are so small, …