Diocese Returns to Traditional Distribution of Ashes 

Priests in the Diocese of Brooklyn will resume placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful this Ash Wednesday, March 2 — a tradition that was shelved last year in the wake of concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

POPE WORLD DAY POOR MASS

At World Day of the Poor Mass, Pope Francis Says Take a Close Look at Most Vulnerable

In his homily at a Mass for the World Day of the Poor Nov. 14, the pontiff said that true Christian hope is not “the naive, even adolescent optimism of those who hope things may change” but is instead built daily through concrete gestures that manifest “the kingdom of love, justice and fraternity that Jesus inaugurated.”

FILE POPE COP26 GLASGOW

Pope Urges Leaders at COP26 to be Courageous in Tackling Climate Change

Education, a change in lifestyles and a model of development focused “on fraternity and on the covenant between human beings and the natural environment” are urgently needed to slow climate change and care for its victims, Pope Francis said in a message to world leaders at the COP26 summit.

Pope, President Biden Hold Unusually Long Meeting at Vatican

In one of his most keenly anticipated meetings since taking office in January, President Joe Biden met with Pope Francis at the Vatican Friday for a lengthy conversation that touched on a variety of issues of shared interest.

Economist Jeffrey Sachs Honored To Be Appointed to Papal Academy

World-renowned American economist Jeffrey Sachs said he vows to do his “utmost to contribute” to the “path-breaking work” of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) after his appointment to the academy was announced on Oct. 25.

Violence Prompts Pope Appeal For Peace

Although terrorism and violent attacks had become a sad reality in the international community, there were declines in 2020 according to the U.N. and groups that track terrorist attacks around the world.