Young people want to be heard, be part of leadership, report says
By Carol Zimmermann BALTIMORE (CNS) — Young people in the church want to be heard and be invited to be a part of church leadership, according to a report by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in preparation for next year’s Synod of Bishops on youth. They are often at …
Civility must guide debate on social challenges, USCCB president says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Bob Roller By Dennis Sadowski BALTIMORE (CNS) — Acknowledging wide divisions in the country over issues such as health care, immigration reform, taxes and abortion, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for civility to return to the public debate. Contemporary challenges are great, but …
Couples need help forming, following their consciences, pope says
IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Marriage and family life are blessings for individuals and for society, but both are filled with difficult choices that Catholic couples must be helped to face prayerfully and in the light of their consciences, Pope Francis said. Unfortunately, too …
Global cooperation needed in response to climate change, pope says
By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Global problems associated with climate change demand global cooperation, Pope Francis told a group of heads of state from the Pacific Islands. The planet Earth, when viewed from space, is a world without borders, he said, and “it reminds us of the need …
Stuff Luke Carey Found for November: Catholic Stuff You Should Know
I dare you to find a better Catholic podcast than Catholic Stuff You Should Know (CSYSK). What began as a simple response to Pope Benedict XVI’s call to engage new technologies for the New Evangelization, CSYSK reigns as the preeminent Catholic podcast. Its format is simple but effective. Four priests …
At home and abroad: Bishops’ conferences show collegiality, solidarity
IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The role of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other bishops’ conferences around the world is “catholic” — working together to promote the church’s mission, but also “to support peacebuilding and human development throughout the world,” said Cardinal Pietro …
Modern-day Calvary: Eucharistic procession at 40 Days for Life Dayton
By Gail Finke On a chilly morning in November, more than 100 people assembled for a Eucharistic procession with Father Stephen Imbarrato, the first ever held at a 40 Days for Life Dayton prayer vigil. Most attendees were Catholic, but several of Dayton’s famously interfaith pro-life leaders came in solidarity. …
Pope sends letter to blind Colombian veteran he met
IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy of the Colombian Navy By Manuel Rueda BOGOTA, Colombia (CNS) — Pope Francis sent a handwritten letter to a Colombian soldier who lost his sight during the country’s civil war. The pope met Edwin Restrepo, a retired marine, during his September visit to Colombia. On Nov. 9, …
Mass and lunch: Pope to lead celebration of World Day of the Poor
IMAGE: CNS photo/jason Szenes, EPA By VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will celebrate the Catholic Church’s first World Day of the Poor Nov. 19 by celebrating a morning Mass with people in need and those who assist them. After Mass, he will offer lunch to 500 people in the …
Peace, dialogue held hostage by nuclear weapons threat, pope says
By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The existence of nuclear weapons creates a false sense of security that holds international relations hostage and stifles peaceful coexistence, Pope Francis said. “The threat of their use as well as their very possession is to be firmly condemned,” the pope told …