During the 2015 celebration of the 750th birthday of Dante Aligheri, Pope Francis invited Catholics from all over the world to read The Divine Comedy, one of the most important works of Western and Christian civilization.
International News
Pope Francis Approves Pay Cuts for Cardinals, Top Management, Religious at Vatican
With the need to reduce costs and make sure employees are not laid off, Pope Francis has approved pay cuts for cardinals, clergy, religious and upper management officials who work in the Roman Curia and other Vatican entities.
Pope Francis Adds Prominent Clergy Sex Abuse Survivor to Pontifical Commission
On Wednesday, March 24, Pope Francis appointed a prominent clergy abuse survivor and advocate to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Chilean Juan Carlos Cruz joins 15 previous commission members whose terms were all renewed for one year.
U.S. Cardinal Sends Needed Gift to Nuns in Havana: A Host-Making Machine
In February 2020, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan embarked on a trip to Cuba at the invitation of the island-nation’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, causing a sensation in Havana. But it was a group of cloistered nuns in the island’s capital who captured the attention of Cuba’s noted guest, the cardinal archbishop of New York.
Good Friday Collection for Holy Land Seeks More Support to Make up for 2020
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.
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.