International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8 and honoring the achievements of women, is a national holiday in many countries.
International News
Vatican Publishes Full Papal Schedule for Holy Week, Easter
Pope Francis’ calendar for Holy Week and Easter is just as full as in previous years despite a mild illness which has caused him to cancel meetings in the days leading up to the release of his liturgical calendar for March.
Pope Has Full Day of Appointments After Going to Hospital for Tests
The day after Pope Francis paid a brief visit to Rome’s Gemelli Isola Hospital for “diagnostic tests,” he had a full morning of audiences, including a meeting with bishops from Italy’s Emilia Romagna region making their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican.
Still Sick, Pope Has Aide Read His Audience Talk on Envy and Pride
Arriving in a wheelchair instead of walking with his cane, Pope Francis began his weekly general audience by telling visitors and pilgrims, “I’m still a bit sick,” so an aide would read his prepared text.
Suspected Poisoning of Priest’s Chalice Linked to Italian Mafia
During the evening Mass on Feb. 24, Father Felice Palamara, a parish priest in Cessaniti, a village in south Italy, found himself once again targeted by the ‘Ndrangheta, a notorious criminal organization operating primarily in Calabria, the southern region of Italy often referred to as the “toe.”
Priest, 6 Religious Brothers, Lay Teacher Kidnapped in Haiti in Another Wave of Violence
As the wave of violence torments gang-decimated Haiti, six male religious, a lay teacher and a priest were kidnapped in two separate incidents Feb. 23 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
At Least 15 Catholics Dead in Attack During Mass in Burkina Faso
At least 15 people were killed in an attack by gunmen on Catholics gathered for Sunday Mass in a Burkina Faso village Feb. 25, according to multiple news reports.
Pope Cancels Another Day of Meetings Because of Flu Symptoms
Saying Pope Francis was continuing to experience “mild flu-like symptoms,” the Vatican announced he had canceled his appointments again Feb. 26.
Pope Francis Cancels Audiences Due to ‘Mild Flu’
By Elise Ann Allen ROME — (Crux) On Saturday morning the Vatican announced that Pope Francis, who suffers from various health maladies and had two hospital stays last year, canceled his scheduled audiences for the day due to a mild flu. In a Feb. 24 statement, the Vatican said that “due to a mild flu-like […]
Vatican Aims to Draw Young ‘Digital Pilgrims’ to Rome’s Papal Basilicas
The Vatican is seeking to draw pilgrims to the four historic papal basilicas scattered around Rome — not physically, but virtually, through a website and podcast aimed at drawing young people into the spiritual depth of Rome’s sacred spaces.