WASHINGTON (CNS) – The interim multilateral accord that could put the brakes on Iran’s nuclear development program is a steppingstone for a long-range deal that “enhances genuine peace in the region,” according to Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace. In a letter […]
International News
Israel at Vatican: Pope and Netanyahu Discuss Peace in Middle East and Pope’s Impending Visit
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel Dec. 2 and discussed prospects for peace in the Middle East and the pope’s still-unscheduled trip to the Holy Land. The two met privately for about 25 minutes in the pope’s library. Talked About Complex Situation A […]
German Bishops May Allow Communion for Divorced
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) – Church officials in Germany defended plans by the country’s bishops’ conference to allow some divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion, insisting they have the pope’s endorsement. “We already have our own guidelines, and the pope has now clearly signaled that certain things can be decided locally,” said Robert Eberle, spokesman […]
Nuns in Syria Kidnapped by Terrorist Troops
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The kidnapping of five Orthodox nuns from a Christian village near Damascus has shocked Syria’s Christian community and filled many Christians with fear, said Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, Syria. Speaking to Vatican Radio, Bishop Audo said the latest information is that the superior and four of the nuns belonging […]
Pope Worked as a Bouncer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In addition to having worked sweeping floors and running tests in a chemical laboratory as a teenager, Pope Francis revealed he also used to work as a bouncer. No longer kicking troublemakers out of clubs, he has discovered the secret to bringing people back, this time, into the church, according to […]
Pope: Purify Church By Looking Within
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization met at the Vatican in October, 2012, among the top items on the agenda was the threat of militant secularism in a post-Christian West. “It is as if a tsunami of secular influence has swept across the cultural […]
Pope Stirs Controversy With Words on Economy
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In enunciating the principles of Catholic social teaching, popes have long stressed the Church’s special concern for the poor and the need for state intervention to promote economic justice. Pope Benedict XVI, for instance, blamed the “logic of profit” for widespread hunger and pollution; called for a […]
Congressman Deplores Move of Embassy
A Brooklyn Congressman has criticized the Obama Administration for its plan to close the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See and to consolidate it into the larger embassy in Italy. Rep. Michael Grimm, who represents parts of Bay Ridge and all of Staten Island, said that “The Obama Administration’s plan to close the Vatican Embassy […]
Pope Praises Grandparents
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Just as fine wine grows stronger with age, grandparents and other elderly Catholics “have the strength to leave us a noble inheritance,” Pope Francis said at his early morning Mass. Celebrating the liturgy Nov. 19 in the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis once again denounced a cultural […]
Pope Closes Year of Faith
By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis closed the Year of Faith by calling on people to keep Christ at the center of their lives, especially in times of trouble. “When Jesus is at the center, light shines even the darkest moments of our lives; he gives us hope,” he said in his […]