Recent Features

Doctrine of Original Sin is the alternative to a 'vision of despair,' Pope tells Wednesday audience

Vatican, Dec 3 2008 (CWN) - Original Sin should always be understood in the context of the salvation brought by Jesus Christ, Pope Benedict XVI told his regular weekly public audience on December 3. Speaking to about 7,000 people in the Paul VI auditorium, the Holy Father ...

Advent is the season of hope, Pope says

Vatican, Dec 1 2008 (CWN) - The Vatican opened the season of Advent with a Vespers service in St. Peter's basilica on Saturday evening, November 29, with Pope Benedict XVI presiding. The Holy Father observed in his homily that Advent is "par excellence, the spiritual ...

New Vatican instruction on bioethics coming December 12

Vatican, Dec 1 2008 (CWN) - The Vatican has scheduled news conferences on consecutive days, December 11 and 12, to unveil a new teaching document on bioethics and the Pope's annual message for the World Day of Peace. The document on bioethical questions, entitled ...

Papal reflections on the purpose of the university

Vatican, Dec 1 2008 (CWN) - Pope Benedict XVI spoke about his own life in academic surroundings, and about the purpose of higher education, during a December 1 meeting with university student and faculty members from Parma, Italy. The Holy Father reminded his visitors that ...

Faith and works: Pope Benedict explains St. Paul's teaching

Vatican, Nov 26 2008 (CWN) - Pope Benedict XVI took up the question of faith vs. works-- particularly as it is expressed in St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians-- in his weekly public audience on November 26. Continuing his series of talks on the thought of St. Paul, the Holy ...

Christ's Kingdom vs. man's ideology: Pope's Sunday audience

Vatican, Nov 24 2008 (CWN) - "The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world," Pope Benedict XVI reminded his midday audience on Sunday, November 23: the feast of Christ the King. Nevertheless, he continued, that Kingdom "accomplishes all the good that-- thanks to God-- exists in ...

Prosecution of Hanoi Catholics seen as intimidation tactic

Hanoi, Nov 24 2008 (CWN) - Eight Vietnamese Catholics face criminal trial in Hanoi because of their peaceful protests at the Thai Ha parish, where lay Catholics have demonstrated for the return of property seized by the government from a Redemptorist monastery. The ...

View more Feature Stories

News Briefs

San Francisco archbishop defends marriage-amendment supporters

12/4 In a column that appears in tomorrow’s edition of the San Francisco archdiocesan newspaper, Archbishop George Niederauer defends ...

Congo bishops seek Canada’s help; English cardinal, Anglican primate urge action

12/4 Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor joined the Archbishop of Canterbury and two other Christian leaders yesterday in urging “an end to the ...

Lourdes medical panel will no longer deem cures miraculous

12/4 The Lourdes medical panel that has decided since 1954 which cures that take place at the should be deemed miraculous has abandoned the ...

California priest says Obama supporters should go to Confession; bishop responds

12/4 In a November 21 letter to the faithful of his California parish, Father Joseph Ilo elaborated on the words of a previous homily: “If you ...

Conservative Anglicans officially break with Episcopal Church USA

12/4 “We’re going through Reformation times," said Episcopalian Bishop Robert Duncan, explaining the decision by a group of conservative ...

Irish broadcast authority bars ad for Catholic bishops' bookstore

12/4 The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has barred the use of a radio advertisement for Christian books as Christmas gifts. The ad ...

Murdered nun to receive posthumous UN human rights award

12/4 Sister Dorothy Stang, who was murdered in Brazil in 2005, will be posthumously awarded the UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights on ...

Personal holiness is basis for evangelization, Pope reminds Chilean bishops

12/4 Meeting on December 4 with bishops from Chile who were completing their ad limina visits, Pope Benedict XVI said that a new impulse of ...

Philippines: cardinal opposes bid to allow parliament to amend constitution

12/4 Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales of Manila has voiced his opposition to a proposal that would allow sitting legislators to rewrite the ...

British diocese will subsidize agency arranging same-sex adoptions

12/4 The Diocese of Southwick, England, plans to continue offering financial support to an adoption agency that has fallen into line with ...

Conflicting studies on abortions’ psychological effects

12/4 A new study that appears in the journal Contraception states that “the best research does not support the existence of a ...

Curial official sees Thomistic revival

12/4 Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues, secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education since November 2007, praised the revial of interest in ...

USCCB film reviewer rapped for praising film on homosexual activist

12/4 The film reviewer for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has drawn criticism once again for praising a film biography of the ...

Vatican inks pact against cluster bombs

12/4 The Vatican has signed an international accord banning the use of cluster munitions. Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Secretary for ...

Vatican spokesman defends opposition to UN homosexuality resolution

12/3 Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, defended Archbishop Celestino Migliore’s opposition to a proposed UN ...

Philippine prelates, clergy protest proposed constitution change

12/3 Two bishops have joined clergy and religious in voicing protests against a proposed effort to amend the Philippine constitution. Opponents ...

Orissa high court backs raped nun’s request on identifying assailant

12/3 The High Court of Orissa yesterday overturned a lower court ruling and ruled that a nun raped during the early days of anti-Christian ...

Pope urges banks: remember needy families, small businesses

12/3 In times of economic crisis, financial institutions should serve the needs of struggling families and small firms, Pope Benedict XVI said ...

Kerala: Priest, nun accused of murder protest interrogation techniques

12/3 Father Thomas Kottoor, a Syro-Malabar priest who has ministered in the United States, told a court yesterday that he and another priest ...

New Swiss Guard commander open to women members?

12/3 Daniel Rudolf Anrig, who became the 34th commander of the Swiss Guard on Monday, may be open to the possibility of women joining the ...

» View more News Briefs