Peter CostelloThe distinguished French novelist was a surprising choice for Nobel prize
Month: October 2014
Supreme Court blocks law that closed most Texas abortion clinics
The US Supreme Court has blocked a Texas law that had meant all but seven of the state’s abortion clinics were closed because they failed to meet new standards. The block will remain in effect while the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals considers a legal challenge to the law itself. It will allow at…
Pray for Ebola intercession
Dear Editor, The Ebola virus in West Africa continues to spread. Various agencies such as the WHO and NGOs are fighting to get the virus under control and relieve the sufferings of the affected populations. In the meantime I suggest that, in praying for the alleviation of this dreadful plague, we invoke the intercession of…
Paul VI, the ‘great helmsman’ of Vatican II, is beatified
Michael KellyPope Francis beatified his predecessor, Paul VI, at the concluding Mass of the Synod of Bishops on the family. The Pontiff praised the late Pope as the “great helmsman” of the Second Vatican Council and founder of the synod, as well as a “humble and prophetic witness of love for Christ and his Church”. Paul…
Thousands of TY students attend Knock Youth Gathering
Mags GarganOver 3,000 teenagers celebrated the feast of the Holy Rosary in Knock
Pope Francis to make pastoral visit to France in 2015
Before making a pastoral visit to any single European nation, Pope Francis will address the regional European Parliament, which meets in Strasbourg, France. Releasing the official itinerary for the November 25 trip, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the Pope would return to France during 2015 for a pastoral visit to the country and…
Pope recalls another key anniversary in his life his first Communion
Unable to resist telling the world about a personal event that is dear to his heart, Pope Francis said that 70 years ago to the day, he celebrated his first Communion. “They say that you shouldn’t talk about personal things, but I can’t resist the temptation,” he said at his weekly general audience in St…
‘Place the poor’ ahead of everything, Catholic Charities workers told
Poverty, in particular understanding its root causes and finding innovative ways to reduce it, was the focus of Catholic Charities USA’s annual national gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina. Discussions had extra urgency given the stagnating number of Americans living at or below the poverty line. “This is our opportunity to come together as providers of…
Our Church must find new ways to teach the Faith
Neither the Pope nor Church teaching is a battering ram to be used against those who we see as our rivals within the Church.
Courts pass on same-sex marriage rulings leaves some important questions
When the US Supreme Court declined to review the appeals on rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional, many people were left second-guessing why this happened and what it means for the future of same-sex marriages and bans on such marriages. The court’s action gave the immediate go-ahead for same-sex marriages to take place…