The sacred liturgy is meant to help the people of God conform their heart, mind and actions more closely to Christ, Pope Francis said. “We know that it is not enough to change liturgical books to improve the quality of the liturgy. To just do this would be a deception,” he said. “For life to…
The district attorney for Queens County, New York, has reportedly dropped an unlawful abortion charge against a man accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend, citing a new state law that removed abortion from the criminal code. Anthony Hobson is accused of killing his girlfriend Jennifer Irigoyen, who was 14 weeks pregnant, on February 3. He…
A prison sentence without hope serves no purpose other than to stir feelings of revenge and anger in inmates who are looking for a second chance in life, Pope Francis said. Speaking to staff members of Rome’s Regina Coeli prison, the Pope said that both prison staff and inmates always must look forward to the…
When child sexual abuse scandals involving Catholic priests emerge in Africa, they do not draw a frenzied reaction similar to that witnessed in developed countries, but the continent’s Church is affected, Catholic leaders have said. While there is a general view that the scandals are a challenge of the Church in Europe and America, African…
An official of the Central African Republic bishops’ conference has raised doubts about a new government-rebel peace deal and urged the international community to give greater backing to the country’s legitimate armed forces. “Of course, we can hope such an accord might lead toward peace, but if it runs counter to justice and truth, this…
A council in London could become the second local authority in the UK to approve an exclusion zone around an abortion clinic. A regulatory committee of Richmond Council voted last week to make it a crime to attempt any form of interaction with staff or visitors to a center run by the British Pregnancy Advisory…
Jesuit gets green light on sainthood cause The sainthood cause of Jesuit Fr Pedro Arrupe was formally opened in Rome at the Basilica of St John Lateran on February 5, the 28th anniversary of Fr Arrupe’s death. The cause of Fr Arrupe, superior general of the Jesuits from 1965 to 1983, was set in motion by the Diocese of Rome, the…
Faith-based adoption is paramount, Trump insists Touting efforts to protect religious freedom, US President Donald Trump told the National Prayer Breakfast on February 7 that his administration would defend the right of faith-based adoption agencies to place children in families based on firmly held religious beliefs. “We will always protect our country’s proud tradition of…
Letter from Rome Inés San Martín A Pope, a prince and an Imam walk side by side at an airport on the red carpet. It seems like the beginning of a bad bar joke, but instead, it was the start of a historic, first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula on February 3. It’s…
Meeting with tens of thousands of Catholics living in the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis urged them to be meek, peaceful and express their Christian identity by loving others. The UAE Catholic community, which numbers close to one million, includes foreign workers from roughly 100 nations, but particularly India and the Philippines. They filled the…