When the difficulties and uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic were at their height in Italy this past spring, one Vatican cardinal defined the snowballing crisis as a form of “trauma.”
International News
Update: Altar Server Charged With Arson For Nantes Cathedral Fire
French police have opened an arson investigation into a fire at a Gothic cathedral in Nantes.
Vatican Releases Guide on How Leaders Must Handle Abuse Allegations
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a 17-page document offering a step-by-step guide for how bishops, religious superiors and canon lawyers are supposed to handle accusations of alleged abuse by clerics against minors.
Refugees Face New Disaster as COVID-19 Threatens Camps
Millions of refugees fleeing conflict are facing the prospect of another disaster: The spread of COVID-19.
Pope Benedict Watches Brother’s Funeral Mass Service via Livestream
During the service, a portrait of Msgr. Ratzinger was placed by the altar and his coffin. On top of his coffin was a Bible and a black biretta, traditionally worn by priests. While incense burned, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer led participants in prayer and a choir of men sang in German and Latin.
Cardinal Dolan Blesses Ashes of Mexican Nationals Who Died of COVID-19
Inside New York’s iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, some 250 Mexican nationals were hailed as anonymous heroes July 11, after dying of COVID-19, which they likely contracted as they kept the city moving when it was experiencing the peak of the pandemic earlier this year.
Pope Francis ‘Pained’ By Decision to Turn Hagia Sophia Into Mosque
After receiving sharp criticism in recent days for not speaking out about protests in Hong Kong and the recent decision to revert Turkey’s famed Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque, Pope Francis broke his silence on the latter July 12, calling himself “pained” by the decision.
July 16 Virtual Pilgrimage to Lourdes to Affirm Prayer Against COVID-19
An international virtual pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Lourdes, France, will “affirm the power of prayer” against COVID-19, said the shrine’s vice rector. “Lourdes is all about spiritual and physical healing, and we’ve received 15,000 prayer petitions daily throughout the lockdown from around the world – for people about to die or fearing infection,” said Father Xavier d’Arodes de Peyriague, vice rector and head of international pastoral ministry.
Pope: Migrants Seeking New Life End Up Instead in ‘Hell’ of Detention
Decrying the unimaginable “hell” migrants experience in detention centers, Pope Francis urged all Christians to examine how they do or don’t help — as Jesus commanded — the people God has placed in their path.
Analysis: Distinguishing Reporting From Spin on the Pope and Hong Kong
In a nutshell, commentators and news outlets known to be critical of Pope Francis are styling the omission as the latest chapter in what they see as the Vatican’s appeasement of China and its Communist leadership, generally linking it to a deal signed two years ago and shortly up for review that afforded Chinese authorities a role in the nomination of Catholic bishops.