While most of the work at a religious order’s general headquarters continues in lockdown, a group of Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit found an additional activity where they could use their hands, do something together and be useful.
Italy
Pope Joins Nationwide Rosary as Italy Takes Lead for Coronavirus Deaths
On the same day Italy surpassed China in the number of fatalities related to the COVID-19 coronavirus, Pope Francis joined the Italian bishops in calling for a nationwide rosary to pray for an end to the outbreak set for 9:00 p.m. Rome time, 4:00 p.m. on the East Coast of the U.S., offering special prayers for families and the elderly.
In John XXIII’s Hometown, Six Priests Have Died From the Coronavirus
At the heart of the European coronavirus crisis in northern Italy’s city of Bergamo, six Catholic priests have died during the past week from the disease and, as of Sunday, over 20 priests were hospitalized.
After Italian Prison Riots Due to Coronavirus Clampdown, Pope Prays for Prisoners
As the number climbs of inmates who’ve died in Italian prisons amid riots related to the country’s coronavirus restrictions, and as the Vatican tightens its own controls, Pope Francis March 11 offered a prayer for prisoners suffering as the disease spreads.
Italian Bishops Urge Compliance With State Measures Amid Virus Outbreak
As Italian regional officials canceled school and major public events over the weekend following a spike in the number of coronavirus cases, Church officials have urged citizens to adhere to restrictions set in place, saying they are close to the families impacted.
Euthanasia is Not an Expression of Personal Freedom, Pope Says
Medical advancements do not help if they treat people as objects or when they are applied only to those people who are not considered a burden and “deserve” to be helped, Pope Francis said.
St. John Paul II’s Challenge Is Still Valid: “Learn Rome!”
Back in the day, when St. John Paul II would meet with seminarians in the Eternal City each year, he would challenge them to “imparare Roma.” It’s a phrase that technically violates the rules of Italian grammar, but everyone knew what he meant: “Learn Rome!”
Vatican: Bones Found at Cemetery Do Not Belong to Missing Woman
The Holy See Press Office said that the results of a morphological analysis of bones and bone fragments found at an ossuary in a Vatican cemetery concluded that none belonged to Emanuela Orlandi, a young Italian woman who has been missing for more than 30 years.
Empty Tomb at Vatican Raises Questions About Missing Bodies
The Vatican opened on July 11 two graves in the Teutonic Cemetery next to St. Peter’s Basilica in hopes of finding the remains of Emanuela Orlandi, the daughter of a Vatican bank employee who has been missing since 1983, and found that Orlandi’s remains weren’t there.
On Corpus Christi, Pope Says Eucharist Is the Antidote to Selfishness
On the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi Sunday, Pope Francis said that in a culture obsessed with profit and personal gain, the Eucharist is a remedy for selfishness, inviting people to imitate Christ in sharing themselves with and for others.