Restrictions on reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Holy Week and Easter are part of the current Israeli government’s policy of making Jerusalem an exclusively Jewish city, said a representative of the Jerusalem Interchurch Center.
International News
Pope: Indifference Met Jesus During Holy Week
Just as the crowds and government officials tried to dodge responsibility for Jesus’ fate after He was arrested, so today too many individuals and countries want someone else to care for refugees fleeing violence and migrants seeking a better life, Pope Francis said.
Pope Condemns ‘Blind Violence’ in Brussels
Pope Francis, condemning the terrorist attacks in Brussels, offered his prayers to the victims, the injured, their families and all offering assistance in the aftermath of the bombings.
Mexican Paper Questions Pope’s Critique of Bishops
An Archdiocese of Mexico City publication questioned a rebuke from Pope Francis, in which he criticized Mexico’s bishops for living like princes and resting on their laurels and called on them to fight “as men, face-to-face” if they do fight – an allusion to disunity in the episcopal conference.
Mexican Cathedral Collapse
An early March collapse of the falsework at a cathedral in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca killed four workers and injured 17 more, the Diocese of Tuxtepec said in a statement.
K of C Study Calls for Action Against Terrorists
The Knights of Columbus and In Defense of Christians contend that Christians in Libya, Iraq and Syria are victims of genocide carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) in a new report. It argues that the case for genocide exists and called on Secretary of State John Kerry to make such a declaration and to include Christians in it.
Mother Teresa Canonization Will be Sept. 4
Pope Francis will declare Blessed Teresa of Kolkata a saint at the Vatican Sept. 4. The date was announced March 15 during an “ordinary public consistory,” a meeting of the pope, cardinals and promoters of sainthood causes that formally ends the sainthood process. At the same consistory, the pope set June 5 as the date for the canonizations of Blessed Stanislaus Papczynski of Poland and Blessed Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad of Sweden.
Mobile App Seeks to Connect The World Through Prayer
The Apostleship of Prayer has created a mobile app – Click to Pray – that aims to connect people around the world to pray for the pope’s monthly intentions.
Pope Goes On Retreat
Pope Francis arrives for a weeklong Lenten retreat, flanked by Father Valdir Jose De Castro, superior general of the Society of St. Paul, Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, regent of the papal household and several senior members of the Roman Curia in Ariccia, Italy, March 6.
Number of Baptized Catholics on the Rise
The number of baptized Catholics worldwide has grown at a faster rate than that of the world’s population, according to Vatican statistics.