Catholic World News Headlines
Pope Francis: works of mercy are ‘hallmarks of the Christian life’
Celebrating the Mass of the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said that “we are all called to become living writers of the Gospel, heralds...
God’s mercy makes us ‘restless’ to reach out to those in need, Pope says at vigil
Pope Francis presided at a prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday and reflected on the manifold expressions of God’s mercy. “God never tires of...
Pope encourages dioceses to establish ‘institutional expressions’ of mercy
At the conclusion of the prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis encouraged each diocese to consider establishing an “institutional...
Pope announces special collection for Ukraine
At the conclusion of Divine Mercy Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis prayed the Regina Caeli and announced a special collection in all European parishes on April 24 to assist...
Vatican message: the Church proclaims Christian hope to those with autism
The Church proclaims hope to those with autism and their families, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, said in a message published on April...
Angolan bishops denounce government corruption, control of media
The Catholic bishops of Angola have released a strongly worded pastoral letter denouncing corruption in public administration. A decline in oil prices is only one cause of a spike in the poverty...
Rash of vandalism at Massachusetts Catholic churches seen as hate crime
The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts has asked Attorney General Maura Healey to investigate a rash of incidents of vandalism at Catholic churches in the state. Three statues of the Virgin...
Pope condemns baseball's designated-hitter rule
Pope Francis has issued a surprise statement condemning the designated-hitter rule in American baseball as "a clear violation of the natural law." The papal statement, Et Novem...
Cardinal Cottier, retired theologian to papal household, dead at 93
Cardinal Georges Cottier, OP, the retired theological of the pontifical household, died on Thursday night, March 31, at the age of 93. Born in Switzerland, Georges Cottier entered the Dominican...
Italy now only half-Catholic, poll says
Only about half of Italy's people identify themselves as Catholic today, according to a new poll published by L'Unita newspaper. Although Catholics still represent by far the...
Venezuelan priest is stabbing victim; motive for crime unknown
The Diocese of San Cristobal, Venezuela, has reported the violent death of a young priest there. The body of Father Darwin Antonio Zambrano Gamez was found in a park in San Cristobal on...
No news on priest kidnapped in Yemen
Bishop Paul Hinder, the apostolic vicar for Southern Arabia, says that he has still no received any reliable news about Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Salesian priest who was seized by gunmen during a...
Anti-abuse expert sees firm commitment by Pope Francis
As she begins work with a papal commission on sexual abuse, an American expert told the Crux news site that she has full confidence in the commitment of Pope Francis to protect children. Teresa...
Rome conference focuses on Divine Mercy
Opening a 4-day European Apostolic Congress on Mercy, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna contrasted the limited and sometimes insincere mercy that humans show one another with the boundless...
Pope's prayer intentions for April 2016
The Vatican has announced the prayer intentions of Pope Francis for April 2016. The Pope's universal intention is: "That small farmers may receive a just reward for their precious...
Vatican investigating renovations of Cardinal Bertone's apartment
The Vatican has confirmed that an investigation is underway regarding the financing of renovations for the apartment now inhabited by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the former Secretary of...
Polish bishops seek complete abortion ban
The Catholic bishops of Poland have issued a call for a full ban on abortions. Existing law in Poland makes abortion illegal except in cases of rape, incest, severe fetal deformation, or threat...
No reason to celebrate Reformation, says Cardinal Müller
Catholics "have no reason to celebrate" the Reformation, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says in a new book-length interview. Cardinal Gerhard Müller...
Post-Synod document to be released April 8
The long-awaited document by Pope Francis, concluding the work of the Synod on the Family, will be released on Friday, April 8, the Vatican has announced. The papal document, an apostolic exhortation, will be entitled Amoris Laetitia, the Vatican press office disclosed. It will be introduced at a press conference featuring Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the general secretary of the Synod...
Moscow Patriarchate to host international conference on persecution of Christians
The Russian Orthodox Church has confirmed plans for an international summit meeting on the persecution of Christians, to be held in Moscow in October. The meeting, to be held October 28 to 30,...
Peruvian prelate says support for pro-abortion politicians is sinful
A Peruvian archbishop has warned his people that support for politicians who support legal abortion and same-sex marriage is immoral. "A Catholic cannot vote for those candidates," said...
Mother Angelica is in heaven, Pope says
Pope Francis expressed confidence that Mother Angelica is in heaven, in a remark made during his weekly public audience on March 30. The Pope acknowledged employees of EWTN, the network founded...
Turkish military seizes churches in offensive against Kurdish separatists
Turkey's military forces have seized several churches in the historic town of Diyarbakir, in the course of an offensive against Kurdish separatists there, the Fides news service reports. The...
Supreme Court seeks new briefs in 'Little Sisters of the Poor' case
In a rare move that seemed to indicate a desire to find common ground in a key religious-freedom case, the US Supreme Court has asked for additional briefs from all parties involved in the Zubik v....
Lord Sacks decries 'ethnic cleansing' of Christians in Middle East
The former chief rabbi of the British Commonwealth has protested the "ethnic cleansing" of Christians in the Middle East and called for an international response. "The ethnic...
Fiat used by Pope in New York now up for auction
The Archdiocese of New York is auctioning off the Fiat hatchback used by Pope Francis during his visit to the city last year. The Fiat 500 Lounge Hatchback was donated by the Chrysler Corporation...
Ransom demand for priest abducted in Yemen?
Government officials in India have reportedly received a ransom note from the Islamic State, demanding millions of dollars for the safe return of Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Salesian priest who was...
American girl, losing eyesight, will have 'bucket list' meeting with Pontiff
A 5-year-old American girl who is losing her eyesight was scheduled to meet with Pope Francis on Wednesday, March 30; but a delayed flight postponed the meeting. Lizzy Myers, who suffers from...
Caritas vehicle hijacked in Congo; driver killed
For the 3rd time this year, a vehicle belonging to Caritas, the Catholic relief agency, was ambushed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 25. The driver was killed and another passenger...
Pope Francis reflects on David’s plea for mercy
Pope Francis devoted his March 30 general audience to Psalm 51 (50), in which the psalmist begged God for mercy. “This Psalm is traditionally seen as King David’s prayer for...
South Sudan’s Christian leaders lament civil war
Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of Juba, joined by other Christian leaders in South Sudan, have issued a statement lamenting the nation’s continuing civil war, which began in...
Displaced Mosul Catholics celebrate Easter
Nearly two years after the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State, most the faithful of the city’s Syriac Catholic diocese celebrated Easter in Iraqi Kurdistan, the autonomous region to which they...
Brussels archbishop: violence in the name of God cannot be tolerated
An ecumenical prayer vigil took place in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels on Easter Monday evening following the March 22 bombings that killed 35 and injured over...
Guard against Western influence, Senegal cardinal warns
Cardinal Théodore-Adrien Sarr, the recently retired archbishop of Dakar, Senegal, warned West Africa’s bishops not to succumb to Western influence, particularly American efforts to...
Lahore archbishop: churches were guarded, but attack on park unexpected
The archbishop of Lahore, the site of an Easter Sunday terrorist attack that targeted Christians in a park, said that “the government had provided all the necessary security measures to...
Canadian priest suspended after gambling away $500,000 raised for refugees
A Chaldean Catholic priest in Ontario has been suspended from ministry after admitting that he stole funds that had been raised to help new immigrants. Father Amer Saka, who was serving a parish...
In China, 20,000 baptized at Easter; government alarmed by Church growth
"An estimated 20,000 people were baptized on Easter night" in China, the AsiaNews service reports. Despite the disapproval of the Communist regime, converts continue to enter the Church...
At UN, Vatican envoy decries victimization of women in warfare
Speaking at a UN Security Council session on the role of women in preventing conflicts in Africa, the Vatican's representative called attention to the people-- especially women religious-- who...
India: 1.5 million Muslims join in condemnation of Islamic State
About 1.5 million Muslims in India have signed a statement condemning terrorism, and 70,000 Islamic clerics have joined in a fatwa condemning the Islamic State. The clerics agreed that terrorist...
Pope Francis: Easter Message Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter! Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God’s mercy, out of love for us, died on the cross, and out of love he rose again from the dead. That is why we proclaim today: Jesus is Lord! His resurrection fulfils the prophecy of the Psalm: God’s mercy endures for ever; it never dies. We can trust him completely, and we thank him because for our sake he...
Papal condolences following terrorist attack in Iraq
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, has sent a message of condolence in the Holy Father’s name following an ISIS suicide bombing at a soccer game in...
Israel permits young Gaza Christians to celebrate Easter in Jerusalem
For the first time in eight years, Israeli officials have permitted Christians from the Palestinian territory of Gaza who are under the age of 35 to travel to Jerusalem for Easter. “We...
Holy Tunic displayed in France for veneration of faithful
The Holy Tunic of Christ, a relic venerated in Argenteuil, France, since the Middle Ages, has been displayed for the veneration of the faithful at the Basilica of Saint Denys. Amid concerns about...
20th anniversary of slaying of Trappist monks in Algeria
On the night of March 26-27, 1996, seven Trappist monks were abducted from the Priory of Our Lady of Atlas in Tibhirine, Algeria by members of the insurgent Armed Islamic Group of Algeria. Two...
USCCB president pays tribute to Mother Angelica
The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops paid tribute to Mother Angelica as an “extraordinary woman, devout believer, and media pioneer” following her death at...
Kidnapped priest reported still alive in Yemen, despite reports of crucifixion by Islamic State
Despite reports that an Indian priest was crucified by the Islamic State in Yemen on Good Friday, both a local bishop and the priest's Salesian religious superiors say that they believe he is...
Nigerian cardinal alarmed by president's decision to join Islamic anti-terror coalition
Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja has voiced his misgivings at the decision by Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari to enlist the country's armed forces in an Islamic coalition against...
Georgia's governor will veto religious-freedom bill
Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal has announced that he plans to veto legislation that would have protected religious groups from being required to approve same-sex weddings or hire openly...
Animal-rights activists disrupt Easter Mass at New York cathedral
New York police arrested one man, and several others were escorted out of St. Patrick's cathedral in New York, after a demonstration that disrupted the noon Mass on Easter Sunday. Security...
At Easter Monday audience, Pope points to Mary as witness to hope
"Life has conquered death! Mercy and love have conquered sin!" Pope Francis said at a midday audience on Easter Monday, March 28. Before leading his audience in praying the Regina...
Pope Francis: Easter Vigil homily (full text)
“Peter ran to the tomb” (Lk. 24:12). What thoughts crossed Peter’s mind and stirred his heart as he ran to the tomb? The Gospel tells us that the eleven, including Peter, had not believed the testimony of the women, their Easter proclamation. Quite the contrary, “these words seemed to them an idle tale” (v. 11). Thus there was doubt in Peter’s heart,...
Mother Angelica dead at 92
Mother Angelica, the founder of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), died on Easter Sunday, April 27, after a long illness, at the age of 92. A native of Ohio, Rita Rizzo joined the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration at the age of 21. She established a monastery in Alabama, and after initially supporting the community by producing religious pamphlets, she decided to make a venture in...
At least 70 dead in attack on Christians in Pakistan; Pope decries massacre
On Easter Sunday evening, a suicide bomber attacked a park in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, killing over 70 people and injuring more than 300. The Islamist militant group...
Italian cardinal: refugee crisis is opportunity for Europe to rediscover its soul
The “immense joy” of the Resurrection is mingled with the “inexpressible pain” of 60 million migrants and refugees, an Italian cardinal said in an article published on the...
Pope laments Christians ‘burned alive, throats slit and decapitated’
Pope Francis presided at the Way of the Cross in the Colosseum on Good Friday evening. The Pontiff concluded with a prayer in which he invoked the Cross of Christ 30 times. He began: O...
Pope dines with Roman priests
For the fourth consecutive year, Pope Francis went to the apartment of Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu on Holy Thursday following the morning Chrism Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, where he...
Holy Thursday: Pope washed feet of Christians, Muslims, and Hindu from 8 nations
During the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at a refugee center in Castelnuovo di Porto, Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 persons from eight nations. The 12, according to the Vatican newspaper,...
Good Friday: papal preacher reflects on ‘existential and personal’ reconciliation
Pope Francis presided at the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord at St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday. As is customary, the preacher to the papal household, Father Raniero...
Belgian primate cautions against hatred of Islam
The people of Belgium remain in a state of “shock” and “anguish” following the recent terrorist attacks, but political leaders are not vengeful, Archbishop Jozef De Kesel of...
Vatican newspaper warns against 1-sided portrayal of Islam
L’Osservatore Romano published a column on the front page of its Holy Saturday edition cautioning against one-sided media portrayals of Islam. In the column, Zouhir Louassini, a Muslim...
Vatican, Rome under heavy security during Easter Triduum
The City of Rome has redoubled security precautions in the wake of the Brussels bombings, with special vigilance around the Vatican during the Easter Triduum. Police have announced that sensitive...
Custodian fined for destroying images of Buddha, Mary Poppins in Omaha cathedral
The former custodian at St. Cecilia cathedral in Omaha was fined $100 and order to pay court costs after pleading guilty to the destruction of a display in the cathedral that had included a...
'Spiritual vacuum' leads to extremism, Anglican bishop argues
Anglican Bishop Richard Chartres of London has warned that promoting "universal abstractions" in schools will not ward off religious extremism. An exclusive concern for abstract...
New NJ state law takes effect, ends Newark archdiocesan sale of cemetery monuments
A new state law has taken effect in New Jersey, ending the sale of cemetery headstones by the Archdiocese of Newark. In 2013, the archdiocesan cemeteries began offering headstones. (Technically...
Vatican downplays concerns about health of Benedict XVI
Reacting to stories that suggested Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI is close to death, the Vatican has issued a statement indicating there there are not "any particular concerns" about the...
Jerusalem patriarch: Holy Thursday homily
Patriarch Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrated the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The prelate preached on the...
Report finds ‘slow-motion genocide’ in West Papua
The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia, has charged that “slow-motion genocide” is taking place in West Papua, an historically Christian...
Thousands to enter Church in US at Easter
About 40% of the dioceses in the United States have reported the numbers of catechumens and candidates who are expected to enter the Church at Easter. T he highest figures were supplied by the...
Study examines international religious gender gaps
A study published by the Pew Research Center has found that women around the world are slightly more likely to be members of a religion than men are (83.4% vs. 79.9%). In nations with Christian...
Restoration announced for Christ’s tomb at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre
Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic leaders have announced that Christ’s tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem will be restored within the next year. The...
Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum: full text of meditations
The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has released the meditations for the Way of the Cross at which Pope Francis will preside. The Way of the Cross takes place on...
French cardinal apologizes for abuse; supporter notes prelate acted promptly on complaints
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France, has issued an apology for sexual abuse by priests of the archdiocese. In a March 24 statement, the cardinal quoted the words of Pope Francis, saying that...
Ottawa archbishop, in Easter message, urges rejection of assisted suicide
In an Easter message, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa calls upon the faithful to reject assisted suicide. Acknowledging the fear and pain that may be experienced by people facing...
In India's Syro-Malabar Church, only priests' feet are washed on Holy Thursday
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church did not alter its Holy Thursday liturgy, despite a papal directive that allowed priests to wash the feet of women during the ceremony. In the Syro-Malabar Church,...
Archbishop Hebda named permanent head of St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese
Archbishop Bernard Hebda has been named Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis, where he has served as apostolic administrator since last June. Archbishop Hebda became the interim leader of the...
Washing feet of refugees, Pope stresses brotherhood
Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, March 24, at the CARA reception center for refugees seeking asylum. During the ceremony the Pope washed the...
Pope Francis at Holy Thursday Chrism Mass: respond to God’s ‘excess of mercy’ with gratitude
Following the celebration of Terce from the Liturgy of the Hours, Pope Francis presided at the Chrism Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Holy Thursday morning. “I would like to speak of two areas in which the Lord shows excess in mercy,” Pope Francis preached. “Based on his example, we also should not hesitate in showing excess. The first area I am referring to is...
Vatican to release archival material on Argentine military dictatorship
At the request of Pope Francis, the Holy See will “open up for consultation the Vatican archives relating to the period of dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983),” according to a press...
Relatives of Romero, Argentine victims greet Pope
At the conclusion of his March 23 general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis embraced Cecilia Romero, who was 18 when her uncle, Blessed Óscar Romero, was martyred in...
Tunisia announces campaign against Islamic extremism
Tunisia, which experienced a string of terrorist incidents in 2015, has announced a campaign to counter Islamic extremism among youth, Agence France-Presse reported. Mohamed Khalil, the...
Italian Catholics recall missionary martyrs
Since 1993, March 24 has been observed in Italy as a day of prayer and fasting in memory of missionary martyrs. The initiative, overseen by the Italian bishops’ mission foundation,...
Patriarch: Iraqis must unite against ISIS
Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, called for Iraqi national unity against the Islamic State. Christians, Muslims, Yazidis, and others should “prove...
Convert to Christianity murdered in Bangladesh; ISIS claims responsibility
Hossain Ali, a retired Bangladeshi man who converted from Islam to Christianity in the 1990s, was brutally murdered in Kurigram on March 22. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the...
Pope calls for ‘unanimous condemnation’ of terrorism
At his March 23 general audience, Pope Francis renewed his condemnation of terrorism and appealed for prayers for the victims of the Brussels bombings. “I once again appeal to all people of...
French buyer refuses British government request to return St. Joan of Arc's ring
A theme park in France has refused an English request for return of a ring that is believed to have belonged to St. Joan of Arc. The ring, apparently given to St. Joan by her parents at her First...
