Catholics continue to rally around Afghan refugee families in St. Louis
By Jonah McKeown St. Louis, Mo., Dec 30, 2023 / 06:00 am Despite dominating the news cycle for months in 2021, the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and the plight of the thousands of people who fled the embattled country has largely exited the public consciousness. But all across the …
‘Religious cleansing’ threatens Armenian Christians’ existence, human rights leaders warn
By Peter Pinedo Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 21, 2023 / 16:15 pm The ongoing war between Azerbaijan and Armenia threatens the existence of Christian communities in the near east, former ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback and other Christian leaders warned in a Tuesday press briefing. Brownback’s statements were delivered …
Chris Christie ties his shift on gay marriage to Vatican ruling on same-sex blessings
By Joe Bukuras CNA Staff, Dec 29, 2023 / 17:30 pm Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, once an opponent of same-sex marriage, said Thursday his views on the matter have shifted, citing the Vatican’s recent document on same-sex blessings as evidence that “even the Church is changing.” “And so you know …
‘Your confessional is ready’: Buzzing into confession at a Denver Catholic high school
By Denver Catholic Denver, Colo., Dec 29, 2023 / 09:00 am As you walk the halls of Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver, you won’t find any lines for confession. Instead, students simply pick up a buzzer — like the ones you see at your neighborhood restaurant that tell you when …
2023 witnessed continued attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers, churches
By Joe Bukuras CNA Staff, Dec 29, 2023 / 06:00 am Pro-life institutions continued to be targets of pro-abortion attacks in 2023 following the landmark Supreme Court decision in June 2022 overturning Roe v. Wade. Roe, the 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide, was struck down on June 24 — the …
Vatican announces art contest for Stations of the Cross to be displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica
By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 29, 2023 / 07:00 am Attention Catholic artists: The Vatican has announced an art competition in which your paintings can be displayed inside of St. Peter’s Basilica along with the works of Renaissance masters Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The contest winner will get to …
Catholic Schools, Tax Dollars and Religious Discrimination
In June 2023, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (the “Board”) approved an application from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to create a virtual Catholic school, St. Isidore of Seville. Like all other virtual charter schools in Oklahoma, St. Isidore will be tuition free, …
Pope Francis Prayer intentions for January, 2024
FOR THE GIFT OF DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH We pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to recognise the gift of different charisms within the Christian community and to discover the richness of different traditions and rituals in the Catholic Church.
St. Stephen: Visiting the spot where the first martyr died
By Jonah McKeown CNA Staff, Dec 26, 2023 / 04:00 am If “Good King Wenceslas” is one of the Christmas hymns you look forward to each year, you probably know which saint is celebrated today — St. Stephen, the first person to die for the risen Christ. Roman Catholics celebrate his feast on Dec. 26, …
The Sign of the Cross
What is the origin and meaning of the Sign of the Cross? The holiest of signs is the Sign of the Cross. As Catholics, we make it so often that perhaps we take it for granted. It is a profound and powerful act that invokes the Trinity, Jesus’ crucifixion, and …
