Pope Leo XIV condemns usury, a grave sin that speaks to the corruption of the human heart
By Walter Sánchez Silva ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 20, 2025 / 15:53 pm Pope Leo XIV on Saturday condemned usury, a practice that is sometimes an extremely grave sin that speaks to the corruption of the heart of those who see others only as “objects of exploitation.” Usury can be defined …
Iran’s new ‘Virgin Mary’ metro station and what it says about faith in the Islamic Republic
By Romy Haber ACI MENA, Oct 20, 2025 / 12:51 pm This past week, social media was flooded with images showing a new metro station in Tehran called the “Virgin Mary” station. The photos went viral, sparking widespread debate among those who hail it as a rare gesture of openness, those who dismiss …
Pope Leo XIV appoints Boston auxiliary Mark O’Connell to lead Diocese of Albany, New York
By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Oct 20, 2025 / 09:44 am Pope Leo XIV on Monday named Bishop Mark O’Connell, an auxiliary bishop of Boston, the next bishop of the Diocese of Albany, New York. O’Connell, a canon lawyer, succeeds the 77-year-old Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, who has been bishop of …
New Catholic sports coaching program focuses on mind, body, and soul
By Kate Quiñones CNA Staff, Oct 20, 2025 / 06:00 am As a competitive figure skater growing up, Rachael Popcak Isaac experienced firsthand the pressure that comes with competitive sports. Now as a devout Catholic and a professional counselor she has launched a new program for athletes inspired by St. John …
What Happened to St. Anne?
Little is known about the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents. Neither Joachim nor his wife, Anne, is mentioned in the Scriptures. They are, however, referenced in extra- Biblical sources like the Protoevangelium of James, a non- canonical text of unknown authorship that originated in the second century. This text is not …
Catholic music debate: Should certain hymns be banned?
By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2025 / 12:00 pm Several hymns were temporarily banned last year in the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri after being found “to be insufficient in sound doctrine,” with the action raising questions about what music is allowed at the Holy Mass. In a special report …
Worldwide Catholic population up, vocations down
By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 11:48 am On the occasion of the 99th World Mission Day, to be celebrated on Sunday, Oct. 19, with the theme “Missionaries of Hope among all Peoples,” the Vatican news agency Fides presented some statistics that offer a general overview of the …
Meet the 7 saints Pope Leo XIV canonized on Oct. 19
By Francesca Pollio Fenton , Courtney Mares Vatican City, Oct 18, 2025 / 06:00 am Pope Leo XIV canonized seven new saints on Sunday including an Italian lawyer who renounced Satanism and became “an apostle of the rosary,” a martyred Armenian archbishop, and a Venezuelan considered the “doctor of the poor.” The canonizations, …
Chaminade Julienne Recognized as CAPE Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
Dayton, OH — The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) announced today that Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School (CJ) is Ohio’s only private school to receive the 2025 CAPE Blue Ribbon School Award, formally the 2025 National Blue Ribbon School Award, having met the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria for …
What to do about Halloween? Catholic moms – and an exorcist – weigh in
by Mary Farrow Denver, Colo., Oct 30, 2021 / 15:00 pm For years, Cecilia Cunningham and her husband took their children trick-or-treating in their then-suburban Philadelphia neighborhood. “It was the kind of neighborhood outside of Philadelphia where everybody knew each other, and it was a really fun neighborhood thing,” Cunningham …
