It’s a Holy Week like no other. No in-person Masses, Holy Thursday processions to the altar of repose, communal veneration of the cross, or gathering with fellow parishioners outside, in the dark, faces lit by fire as the Easter Vigil begins.
National News
COVID-19 Lockdown Not a Threat to Religious Liberty, Archbishop Says
No U.S. Catholic bishop has been associated more closely with religious liberty than Archbishop William Lori and he has a message for Catholics who think the current suspension of the sacraments due to the COVID-19 pandemic is a violation of religious liberty: It’s not – and to argue otherwise puts lives at risk.
Only in Print: Dr. Fauci’s Roots in Dyker Heights
When I see Dr. Anthony Fauci on TV expertly explaining everything we need to know about the coronavirus pandemic, I find myself thinking back to his father, Stephen Fauci, whose drugstore our family relied on back in the 1950s.
‘Spotlight’ Attorney Drops Lawsuit Against Boston Priest
A priest in the Archdiocese of Boston will return to ministry after attorney Mitchell Garabedian withdrew a lawsuit against him that claimed he sexually abused a minor 30 years ago after an independent review found the allegation to be unsubstantiated.
Driven By Pandemic, U.S. Church Hits the Online Superhighway
When Pope Francis told the Vatican’s communications department in 2017 the digital world should be a primary vehicle for spreading the gospel, he certainly couldn’t have predicted a global pandemic that would leave the online realm as one of the only means for doing so.
Democrats Support Pope Francis More Than Republicans, New Poll Finds
A new study reveals that while American Catholics still overwhelmingly view Pope Francis favorably, he enjoys more support from Catholic Democrats than he does Catholic Republicans.
It Will Be a Palmless Sunday at Most U.S. Parishes
Don’t expect any palms this Passion Sunday. And distribution of palms later in the year might not happen, either, according to Rita Thiron, executive director of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.
Catholic Events Canceled, Moved Online in Wake of Coronavirus Pandemic
The best-laid plans of Catholics across the country have been upended, as colleges and universities are now canceling commencement ceremonies and a range of high profile conference and gatherings have been nixed, postponed, or switched to new formats as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
States Doing Best to Calm ‘Mass’ Hysteria
Catholic bishops across the United States have banned public Masses and opted for a virtual celebration of the sacraments as the nation continues to be roiled from the COVID-19 pandemic, but throughout the country, governors are issuing mixed guidelines on policies for houses of worship.
The Importance of Protecting Our Children in Times of Crisis
Today, the world is being hit with a tsunami of non-stop bad news, shaking up every level of our past sense of security, and sending us all in a whirlwind of uncertainty and unparalleled fears.