VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Less than a week after a relic of Blessed John Paul II disappeared from a country chapel east of Rome, Italian police recovered the venerated piece of fabric stained with the late pope’s blood. Auxiliary Bishop Giovanni D’Ercole of L’Aquila told reporters that one of three men arrested for the theft […]
Author: settinger
Al-Qaida Fights to Oust Christians from Mideast
by James Martone CAIRO (CNS) – The two worlds Armenian Catholic Bishop Krikor Okostinos Coussan knows best are engulfed in violence. In Syria, where he’s from, a war has led to the death of tens of thousands of people and displaced millions of others. In Egypt, where he lives and currently serves, civil unrest combined […]
Lithuanians Host Bishop from Homeland
The Lithuanian community of Annunciation parish, Williamsburg, hosted a visit from Bishop Kestutis Kevalas, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Kaunas, Lithuania. It was arranged through the New York Lithuanian Catholic Youth Organization, “Ateitis.” Bishop Kevalas began the day with a visit to the children of the parish, including those who are preparing to receive […]
Pope: Universities Must Maintain Catholic Identity
by Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Catholic universities must give “uncompromising” and “unambiguous” witness to Church teaching and defend themselves from all efforts to dilute their Catholic identity, Pope Francis said. Catholic universities, “by their very nature, are committed to demonstrating the harmony of faith and reason and the relevance of the Christian message […]
Online Exclusive: Auxiliary Bishops Visit Catholic Schools
Auxiliary Bishops Raymond Chappetto, Octavio Cisneros and Paul Sanchez visited Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens during Catholic Schools Week. Bishop Chappetto, vicar general of the Diocese, visited two schools in Bensonhurst on Tuesday, Jan. 28: Our Lady of Guadalupe, at 9:15 a.m., and St. Athanasius, at 10:30 a.m. Bishop Cisneros held an assembly […]
Choose the Light Over the Loopholes
by Father Anthony F. Raso Years ago, long before Vatican Council II, there was a “rule” – and I don’t know how “official” it ever was – that if you arrived at Mass before the Offertory and stayed at least until right after Communion, then you had technically attended Mass. Even at that time, in […]
Embracing the Worldly
by Father Robert Lauder Sixth in a series I have no idea how readers of this column are relating to this series on spirituality. Perhaps some are enjoying it, and some may disagree with almost everything that I have written. I confess that I have enjoyed writing the last five columns as I re-read and […]
Baptism and Mission Go Together
by George Weigel Papal approbation being no bad thing, I was delighted to learn that Pope Francis, in a homily a few weeks ago, had suggested that his congregants learn the date of their baptisms and celebrate it – which is precisely what I have been proposing to audiences around the country this past year […]
Love Without Limits
Back in the 1960s – the time in which the so-called “sexual revolution” was boldly proclaimed – a certain culture of newfound liberation was beginning to emerge, celebrating itself as a movement toward “free love.” Taking great liberties with the writings of some of the saints – such as Augustine (“Love and do as you […]
Learning from Those in Consecrated Life
by Father John Cush Last weekend, on the feast of the Presentation, the Church celebrated the gift of consecrated life. It is a true gift that those who live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience in religious communities and other forms of vows (like those who have committed to be consecrated virgins or […]