‘He was a great,’ Pope Francis says of St. John Paul II
IMAGE: CNS photo/Edizioni San Paolo By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — St. John Paul II taught the world that truly great faith and holiness dwell in "the normality of a person who lives in profound communion with Christ," Pope Francis said in a new book. Precisely because he allowed …
Pope: God’s kingdom is for the poor in spirit, not the proud of heart
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — People who recognize and embrace their spiritual poverty will inherit the kingdom of God, not those who place their trust in the comforts of this world, Pope Francis said. The rise and fall of powerful governments and kingdoms throughout …
Seize the Moment: Barbecue and a Taste of Heaven

I love barbecue. Seriously, my heart yearns for it. Owensboro, KY, where I’m from, is actually the epicenter of a unique variety: mutton barbecue. Mutton is meat from sheep around three years old, as opposed to lamb, which is meat from sheep less than a year old. It starts out …
Being Pro-Life: Ending Abortion Through Prayer & Fasting

A man was praying outside an abortion facility when a woman walked into the clinic. Not long after, she walked back out and right up to him. She said, “Excuse me, but I just wanted to thank you. I asked God for a sign this morning on whether or not …
As other U.S. papers close or shrink, Oregon’s Catholic newspaper endures
IMAGE: CNS Photo/courtesy Catholic Sentinel archives By PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) — As many U.S. newspapers close or shrink, Oregon’s Catholic journal has held steady for decades and even has tracked a small uptick in readership. The Catholic Sentinel, begun in Portland by Irish immigrants in 1870, has been on thin …
Rome has vocation of dialogue and inclusion, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The loss of the papal states and the declaration of Rome as the capital of a united Italy 150 years ago was a "providential" event that changed the city and the church, Pope Francis said. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican …
Colombian diocese, with some U.S. support, helps flood of Venezuelans
IMAGE: CNS photo/Manuel Rueda By Manuel Rueda CUCUTA, Colombia (CNS) — Every weekday before she heads to work, Angelica Tesorero takes her small children to a day care center run by the Diocese of Cucuta. She hugs the two siblings, kisses them on the cheek and leaves them to a …
Daily prayer is key to Catholics remaining active in church, says speaker
IMAGE: CNS photo/Michael Brown, Diocese of Tucson By Michael Brown TUCSON, Ariz. (CNS) — Robert Feduccia, founding director of the Youth Liturgical Leadership Program at St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana, made respect for diversity a key theme in his keynote, "Liturgy in a Missionary Key," at …
Vatican donates masks to China to combat coronavirus outbreak
IMAGE: CNS photo/Thomas Peter, Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican donated thousands of protective masks to several Chinese provinces affected by the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. In an email to Catholic News Service Feb. 3, the Vatican press office confirmed a report that appeared …
Vatican donates masks to China to combat coronavirus outbreak
IMAGE: CNS photo/Thomas Peter, Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican donated thousands of protective masks to several Chinese provinces affected by the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. In an email to Catholic News Service Feb. 3, the Vatican press office confirmed a report that appeared …