Two women may hold the key to clearing up questions still surrounding the death of Pope John Paul I and to overcoming the first hurdle on his path to canonization.
International News
Walk from Assisi to Rome Is No Roman Holiday
After weeks of navigating difficult terrain, avoiding wild animals and steep cliffs, the devoted pilgrims and hiking enthusiasts who manage to traverse the 155 miles between Assisi and Rome on foot arrive in St. Peter’s Basilica and report a special kind of payoff.
Irish Claim Halloween Tradition Began in their Homeland
An Irish folklife expert says there is evidence that the tradition of carving pumpkins, which is synonymous with Halloween jack-o-lanterns in the U.S., actually began in Ireland.
Mexicans Pray for Deceased On the Dia de los Muertos
by Amy Wise Taylor
BLUFFTON, S.C. (CNS) – When Jennifer Bermejo was growing up in Aguascalientes, Mexico, her family celebrated Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, every year.
News Briefs
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal about an order to remove a Ten Commandments display outside City Hall in Bloomfield, New Mexico. The refusal to hear the case lets the lower court ruling stand.
On the Ground In Puerto Rico
We landed in San Juan exactly at noon on Thursday, Oct. 19. It was one of those flights that could turn you into a praying man – just a long period of turbulence from Queens to Old San Juan. As the plane approached the airport two details stand out – the grayness of the trees and the colors on the roofs. Hurricane Maria had taken away the leaves and the roofs. Naked trees and roofless houses now covered with plastic tarps were the new face of San Juan from the unquiet comfort of my seat on the plane.
Hong Kong Bishop Emphasizes Pastoral Over Political Concerns
In an exclusive interview with The Tablet, Hong Kong’s new bishop spoke of how he is focusing on pastoral matters over political concerns. Bishop Yeung says he devoting attention to young people, the elderly, and building social solidarity, rather than emphasizing political disagreement with the government.
Cardinal Zen: Church Must Be Cautious with China
He’s been called “the conscience of China.” At age 85, Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, is hardly living out his retirement in quiet.
@Pontifex Twitter Hits 40 Million
Pope Francis’ @Pontifex Twitter accounts reached more than 40 million followers just a few months before the fifth anniversary of when Pope Benedict XVI launched the initiative.
Coverage from Puerto Rico
Jorge Dominiguez, the editor of Nuestra Voz, the diocesan Spanish monthly, is currently in Puerto Rico where he is getting a firsthand look at the destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria. His reports will be broadcast on NET-TV and will be printed in The Tablet next week.