The annual Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land has much catching up to do this year. Twelve months ago the pandemic kept Catholics from attending Good Friday services when the donations are traditionally given.
International News
Year of St. Joseph a Unique Opportunity To Seek Indulgences
History records very little about St. Joseph. But according to Pope Francis, the Gospel’s depictions of Jesus’ earthly father are potent examples of a loving family man and a solid worker entitled to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Bethlehem Christian Families Helping the Holy Land from Abroad
Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus, continues to feel the economic impact of the pandemic since essentially shutting down on March 5, 2020. After a quiet Christmas season that featured toned-down Mass celebrations and empty streets and shops, the city hopes things will turn around by next year.
Analysis: Poll Finds That on Anti-Christian Persecution, U.S. Catholics Now Get It
In attempting to solve any problem, one might face two very different challenges. The first is when almost no one else even recognizes there is a problem, and, when they’re told, they remain skeptical. The other is when people know there’s a problem, but don’t quite understand its scope and details.
Priests Must be Welcoming Fathers Like St. Joseph, Pope Francis Says
Like St. Joseph who had other plans for his life, but lovingly embraced his role as Jesus’ foster father, a priest assigned to a new parish cannot impose his own ways on that community, Pope Francis said.
Hundreds of Christian Families Face Eviction From Their Homes in Pakistan
Over the past week, the houses of 450 Catholic families were destroyed in Pakistan, and those of 1,000 Christians will be bulldozed by government officials in upcoming days. The country’s Supreme Court ruled that the homes are on state-owned lands, and their presence makes the cities of Hyderabad and Karachi more flood-prone, since they block the path of rainwater to the sea.
Washington Cardinal: Catholics, Shia Muslims Must Build on Papal Visit to Iraq
The meeting between Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husaymi al-Sistani can make a difference in America, says Cardinal Wilton Gregory, because it demonstrated “that people from different religious traditions can work together in a spirit of dialogue and mutual respect.”
Chilean Bishop Calls for Civil Disobedience Over Mass Restrictions
A Chilean bishop is urging civil disobedience after several regions of the country went into lockdown again to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, imposing heavy restrictions on the celebration of religious ceremonies.
Pope Francis Says He, Too, Kneels on Myanmar Streets, Begging for End to Violence
As security forces in Myanmar have increased their crackdown on civilians, with disappearances, detentions and the killing of peaceful protesters, Pope Francis appealed for an end to violence and the start of dialogue.
A Year Into Lockdown, Church in Netherlands Fears Permanent Decline
One year after the first ecclesial lockdown came into effect in the Netherlands, “ordinary parish life is partly falling away” and the crisis is accelerating the already existing problem of secularization.