by Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Vatican spokesman praised Cuba’s decision to accept Pope Benedict XVI’s request to make Good Friday a national holiday this year. “It is certainly a very positive sign,” Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said April 1. Good Friday, the commemoration of Jesus’ passion and death, falls […]
Catholic youth in Cuba live under drastically different conditions than youth in the Diocese of Brooklyn. They live in fear that what they say may be monitored by the government and could have real consequences for their families. They do not benefit from many of the technologies easily accessible in the United States and they […]
by Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – On the seventh anniversary of the death of Blessed John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI paid homage to one of his predecessor’s innovations: World Youth Day. Greeting an estimated 5,000 cheering young people from Spain April 2, Pope Benedict said they were “the protagonists and principal recipients of […]
by Francis X. Rocca SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (CNS) – Celebrating an outdoor Mass on his first day in Cuba, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the struggles of the country’s Catholics after half a century of communism and described human freedom as a necessity for both salvation and social justice. The pope spoke March 26 in […]
by Francis X. Rocca SILAO, Mexico (CNS) – Celebrating Mass in the Catholic heartland of Mexico, Pope Benedict XVI told a nation and a continent suffering from poverty, corruption and violence, to trust in God and the intercession of Mary to help them bring about a “more just and fraternal society.” “When addressing the deeper […]
EL COBRE, Cuba (CNS) – Entrusting people to Mary’s maternal care is a normal Catholic practice, but when Pope Benedict XVI prayed that Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre would wrap her golden mantle around the people of Cuba, it was particularly poignant. For 400 years, Cubans – believers and nonbelievers alike – have […]
Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd gathered for his arrival at Guanajuato International Airport in Silao, Mexico, March 23. Arriving in Mexico on his second papal visit to Latin America, the pope said he came as a “pilgrim of faith, of hope, and of love,” promoting the cause of religious freedom, social progress and the […]
by Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The sainthood cause of Cuban-born Father Felix Varela could take a leap forward during Pope Benedict XVI’s stay in Cuba March 26-28. The Congregation for Saints’ Causes “has done its part” and has recommended that Pope Benedict formally recognize the heroic virtues of Father Varela, a 19th-century writer […]
New Evangelization Television (NET), the Diocese of Brooklyn’s cable television station serving the five boroughs of New York City, presents exclusive studio coverage of the Apostolic Journey to Latin America, March 23 – 26 from Mexico and March 26 – 28 from Cuba. Commencing in Mexico, special broadcasting began on March 23 at 6:30 p.m., […]
