WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholics across a broad spectrum of the church are being mobilized in a renewed effort to fight global poverty. Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are seeking 1 million Catholics during the next two years to join an initiative designed to show that the difficulties Americans are […]
Continue readingVATICAN CITY (CNS) — Human life is a gift to be treasured with patience and love even when it appears to be marked with senseless suffering, Pope Benedict XVI said. “Human life is not a disposable good, but a precious treasure to be guarded and cared for with every possible attention from the moment of […]
Continue readingST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (CNS) — The Catholic Health Association’s board of trustees recently reaffirmed its opposition to any attempts by Congress or President Barack Obama to broaden abortion access and its commitment to keep Catholic hospitals open, Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg said in a Feb. 6 blog entry. “Idle threats about the […]
Continue readingVATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI renewed his “full and unquestionable solidarity” with the world’s Jews and condemned all ignorance, denial and downplaying of the brutal slaughter of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust. The pope’s comments Jan. 28 came a day after the Chief Rabbinate of Israel postponed indefinitely a March meeting […]
Continue readingWASHINGTON (CNS) — Poor families and vulnerable workers should be central priorities in any economic recovery legislation Congress adopts, said the U.S. bishops. “Low-income families and individuals are experiencing the greatest hardship and have the least capacity to cope in this time of economic crisis,” Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., said in […]
Continue readingWASHINGTON (CNS) — President Barack Obama and his vocal support of abortion came under fire from members of Congress, clergy and pro-life activists during the opening rally of the 36th annual March for Life. For nearly two hours Jan. 22, a crowd estimated at 100,000 listened to three dozen speakers pledge to fight efforts to […]
Continue readingWASHINGTON (CNS) — With a new president and a new Congress in Washington, “we intend to work with those in public office whenever we can,” said Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, but will “raise our voices in respectful but impassioned protest when we must.” The new administration and Congress “will need our encouragement and our […]
Continue readingVATICAN CITY (CNS) — Iraqi Catholic bishops called on Pope Benedict XVI to convene a synod to address the mass exodus of Christians from the Middle East and the lack of full religious freedom there. They also expressed hope that the new U.S. administration under President Barack Obama would be able to bring peace and […]
Continue readingATLANTA (CNS) — As the second anniversary of the largest mass killing on a U.S. campus approaches, the Catholic priest serving at Virginia Tech University said the church can help fearful and confused students through its mindfulness of community rituals. The church view of the “intimacy of God with the world” is a strong perspective […]
Continue readingWASHINGTON (CNS) — Scripture readings, prayers and songs, many with a theme of following the will of God in service to the country and the world, launched President Barack Obama’s first full day on the job during an interfaith prayer service Jan. 21. After a day and a night of celebrating the inauguration, Obama and […]
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