For the first time in 300 years, the marble steps of the Holy Stairs will be free from the thick wooden panels installed in 1723 to protect the stairs and left uncovered for the public.
International News
Pope Expresses ‘Heartfelt Solidarity’ with NZ Muslims After Mosque Attacks
Pope Francis expressed “heartfelt solidarity” Friday with New Zealand and its Muslim community following shooting attacks on two mosques in the city of Christchurch that left at least 49 people dead.
After Attacks, New Zealand Bishops Tell Muslims: ‘We Hold You in Prayer’
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have expressed horror and distress at a terrorist attack in two mosques in Christchurch that saw at least 49 people killed.
Pope Advances Sainthood Causes For 17 Women
Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of three women and recognized the martyrdom of 14 religious sisters who were killed during the Spanish Civil War.
The Pope’s 21 Points on The Protection of Minors in the Church
The following are some points drawn up by the various Commissions and Episcopal Conferences as an aid to reflection during the work of the Meeting on “The protection of minors in the Church.”
Four CRS Members Aboard Ethiopian Jet That Crashed
Four Catholic Relief Service staff members on their way to a training session in Nairobi, Kenya, were among the passengers aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed moments after takeoff in the east African nation. The accident March 10 claimed the lives of 157 people on board, many of them from humanitarian agencies.
Sunset at the Sea of Galilee
Auxiliary Bishop Neil Tiedemann, C.P., pastor of St. Matthias, Ridgewood and Msgr. Kieran Harrington, vicar for communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn, led pilgrims from Brooklyn and Queens to the Holy Land for a Lenten pilgrimage, March 7-15.
For Lent, Give Up Hypocrisy, Pope Says
Lent is a time to ask for God’s grace to chip away at hypocrisy, which is seen in the natural human attempt to appear “worthier than we are,” Pope Francis said March 8 during his early Morning Mass.
Judge Sentences Cardinal Pell to Six Years in Prison on Abuse Charges
Cardinal George Pell, 77, was sentenced to six years in prison March 13, just over two weeks after a Melbourne court allowed the publication of news that he had been found guilty of sexually abusing two boys.
Hunger, Brain Drain, Disruptions: Church Working to Help Venezuelans
Catholic Church leaders in Venezuela say a peaceful transfer of power from embattled President Nicolas Maduro to a transitional government, probably led by National Assembly president Juan Guaido, is the best hope for the crisis-wracked country.