In his formal documents, many speeches and unscripted morning homilies the past five years, Pope Francis has given the church plenty of “food for thought” on many issues of great importance.
International News
Benedict Dismisses Criticism of Francis’ Papacy
On the eve of the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ election, retired Pope Benedict XVI defended the continuity of the Church’s teaching under his successor and dismissed those who criticize the pope’s theological foundations.
Good Friday Collection to Aid Mideast
Christians in the Middle East, particularly those who have been forced from their homes by violence and persecution, need the support of the Catholic Church, a Vatican official said.
Details of Miracle Leading To Romero’s Canonization
Though church authorities in El Salvador said they would wait to give details of the miracle that has cleared the way for Blessed Oscar Romero’s canonization, a Salvadoran newspaper published an account of a woman who said her husband’s prayers to Blessed Romero saved her life.
Exorcists Need Special Training to Battle Evil
St. John Paul II once called Lent a period of “spiritual training” for sharpening people’s ability to recognize “the voice of God and the insidious voice of the evil one.”
Faith on Downward Spiral In a ‘Post-Catholic’ Ireland
In two months time, voters in Ireland will head to the polls to decide whether to liberalize the eighth amendment – the Republic of Ireland’s constitutional provision that grants an equal right to life to unborn children and pregnant women, which was established in 1983 and effectively banned abortion within Ireland.
Retired Diocesan Priest Is Murdered in Colombia
A Brooklyn priest who had returned to Colombia to live in retirement, was brutally murdered there on Saturday, March 10. Father Dagoberto Noguera, 68, was killed in his residence in Mamatoco, Colombia. He was currently doing social work in the capital of Magdalena.
Assessing Francis’ First Five Years
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope just a few days after telling the College of Cardinals that the Catholic Church faced a clear choice between being a church that “goes out” or a church focused on its internal affairs.
Nigerian Bishop Appeals to Gov’t To Help Free Kidnapped Girls
Bishop Hilary Dachelem of Bauchi has appealed to the Nigerian government and security agencies to work for the rescue of the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in February.
Concern After Explosions At Two Mexican Churches
The bishop of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas, has expressed alarm after two church explosions within four days.