In the ongoing cold and flu season, Catholics have an option beyond typical over-the-counter medicines for throat ailments with a special blessing of throats given at many parishes on or near Feb. 3, the feast of St. Blaise.
National News
Pa. Supreme Court Overturns State Court Decision on Medicaid Funding for Abortions
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled Jan. 29 that a lower court needs to review its decision two years ago over a challenge to a decades-old state law that prevents Medicaid from covering the cost of most abortions.
High Court to Hear Arguments About Access to Controversial Abortion Pill
The Supreme Court said it will hear arguments on March 26 about how patients can access the commonly used abortion pill, mifepristone.
Tech School Training Seeing a Resurgence, in Catholic Schools as Well
Decades ago, high schools offered a range of practical classes — home economics, wood shop, and auto repair — amid their academic lineup for interested students. Most schools eventually dropped these classes because of lack of funding, but a version of them has returned with renewed vigor in public schools and some Catholic schools across the country.
Kentucky Bishop Bars From Ministry Priests Devoted to Latin Mass
A small religious community dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, that once had aspirations of becoming a religious institute, now finds itself in limbo after its two priests were barred from public ministry.
Catholic Leaders Decry Alabama’s Execution of Inmate by Nitrogen Gas: ‘An Act of Barbarism’
Catholic leaders spoke out against Alabama’s Jan. 25 execution of death row inmate Kenneth Smith by nitrogen gas, which was the first time this method was used in the United States.
Supreme Court OKs Alabama’s First-Ever Nitrogen Gas Execution Decried By Faith Leaders
The Supreme Court Jan. 24 rejected an appeal by death-row inmate Kenneth Smith, whose planned execution by the state of Alabama — the first known execution by nitrogen gas — was openly decried by more than 100 Alabama faith leaders just days earlier.
‘Nones’ May Have Dim View of Religion, But Many Still Say They’re ‘Spiritual’
A new survey has found that about 70% of American adults who describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated, the so-called “nones,” nevertheless believe in God or a higher power, and almost half of them (48%) describe themselves as spiritual.
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Oklahoma Death Row Inmate’s Appeal
The Supreme Court Jan. 22 agreed to hear an appeal from Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip, who has long maintained his innocence. Glossip is backed by the state’s attorney general who has said he should not be executed because of errors made that prevented him from getting a fair trial.
Letter Signed By 18 Bishops Urges US to Redirect Military Spending to Fund Human Needs
At least 18 Catholic bishops have signed on to a call by PAX Christi USA for the U.S. government to redirect military spending to fund human need.