Italian Cardinal Agostino Cacciavillan, a former nuncio to the United States and the retired head of the Vatican investment office, died March 5 at the age of 95.
Vatican
Celibacy Not ‘Divine Law’ for Priests, but Promotes Holiness, Speakers Say
The requirement that most priests in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church be celibate has theological and spiritual foundations and not only practical motivations, said speakers at an international conference on priesthood.
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.
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.”
Pope’s World Day of the Poor Includes Listening, Helping
Pope Francis plans to prepare for his celebration of the World Day of the Poor by meeting with and listening to some 500 poor people making a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, Nov. 12.
Pope Urges Prayers For Ethiopia As Deadly Violence Threatens To Escalate
After praying the Angelus prayer, the pontiff expressed concerns over increasing violence in Ethiopia amid reports that Tigray Defense Force rebels were approaching the outskirts of the country’s capital, Addis Ababa.
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.
