Irish green is worn proudly in Brooklyn and Queens — but never more so than in the weeks leading up to the feast day of St. Patrick, patron of the Emerald Isle. Here is a list of the upcoming St. Patrick Parades in the diocese: Sunday, March 2, 1 p.m. — Queens County St. […]
by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) — On his last full day as pope, Pope Benedict XVI delivered an unusually personal and emotional farewell address, thanking the faithful around the world for their support and assuring them that he would remain in their service even in retirement. “I will continue to accompany the […]
by Jonathon Luxemoore OXFORD, England (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI was “exhausted and disheartened” well before his Feb. 11 resignation announcement, according to his German biographer, Peter Seewald. In an article, “Farewell to my pope,” in the Feb. 18 issue of Germany’s Focus weekly, Seewald said he had held several Vatican meetings with the 85-year-old […]
by Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Italian cardinal leading Pope Benedict XVI’s Lenten retreat was tweeting and podcasting his reflections, signaling that detachment from the outside world doesn’t have to mean a total media blackout. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, 70, began the spiritual reflections Feb. 17 by describing Pope Benedict’s future role in the […]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI, who has dedicated much of his pontificate to shaping the Church’s understanding of the Second Vatican Council, devoted one of his last public addresses to recalling his experiences as an expert consultant at Vatican II, praising some of its major documents and lamenting widespread distortions of its teachings. […]
WASHINGTON (CNS) – The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty has urged the House of Representatives to extend long-standing federal conscience protections to the Affordable Care Act’s new coverage mandates for private health plans. Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore made the request in a letter to members of the […]
CHICAGO (CNS) – A U.S. District Court judge Feb. 8 dismissed a lawsuit filed against the federal contraceptive mandate by the Springfield and Joliet dioceses, their respective Catholic Charities agencies and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The dioceses and Catholic Charities agencies argued that the federal regulations requiring all employers, including most religious […]
by Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – For a Catholic so aware of the importance of tradition, even traditions with a small “t,” Pope Benedict XVI had to know he was setting a precedent by resigning. “This development will offer options that maybe were not too obvious before this courageous decision of Pope Benedict,” said […]
by Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Calling this an unusual time for him and for the Church – but not specifically mentioning his resignation – Pope Benedict XVI thanked people for their affection and asked them to continue their prayers. A roar of applause rose up from more than 50,000 people gathered in St. […]
by Carol Glatz ROME (CNS) – The halls of history might hold some clues as to what kind of impact Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation will have on the Church and how to navigate a smooth transition, said a U.S. scholar. “All these problems surrounding how to treat Benedict, what to call him, how he will […]
