Catholic Culture News
Catholic Culture News

Stories for March 2017

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Friday, Mar. 31

 Papal preacher delivers 4th Lenten Sermon
 New York high school principal said to exclude Catholic-school applicants
 Church doctrines ‘no longer make sense,’ says dissident Irish priest
 Nations have moral duty to destroy nuclear weapons, Vatican envoy tells UN
 Rhode Island bishop questions wisdom of giving money to panhandlers
 French police search offices of Lyon archdiocese
 Mexican bishop meets with gang leaders, seeking to end violence against priests
 French lay theologian to compose meditations for Good Friday service
 Interpret Amoris Laetitia in light of tradition, says Spanish bishop
 Liturgical ‘devastation’ reflects serious crisis of faith, says Cardinal Sarah
 Pope delighted by Vatican conference studying history of Reformation
 EU leader was drunk during papal audience, Polish lawmaker charges
 Catholic college rescinds speaking invitation to feminist activist
 Cardinal bewails continued atrocities in Syria
 Venezuela: vandalism at cardinal’s residence during pro-government rally
 Report: persecution of Christians in China rose in 2016
 Irish bishop: continue work of European unity
 Egypt: police defuse bomb in church
 Theme announced for papal trip to Egypt

Released Thursday, Mar. 30

 Special papal envoy arrives in Medjugorje
 Mexican priest kidnapped as crime wave continues
 LA Times editorial raps prosecutor for felony charges on undercover pro-life videos
 Cardinal asks new chief executive to promote true democracy in Hong Kong
 Cardinal Turkson ‘concerned’ by Trump policies, welcomes ‘dissenting voices’
 Moscow Patriarchate seeks ban on surrogate motherhood
 With no seminarians, Irish bishop sees acute shortage of priests looming
 Pope encourages Somascan Fathers to ‘transform structures’
 Vatican confirms plan for papal trip to Ireland in 2018
 Nigerian archbishop urges government to respond to violence against Christians
 Vatican message to Jains focuses on nonviolence
 Pope outlines vision for next World Meeting for Families
 Bangladesh: police accused of attacking Catholic town
 Brexit: English bishops’ spokesman concerned about EU residents in England
 Bishop: ‘South Sudan is collapsing’
 EU bishops discuss Europe’s future
 USCCB prelate: Trump executive order jeopardizes environment

Released Wednesday, Mar. 29

 UN committee prods Italy to ensure doctors will perform abortions
 Philadelphia archdiocese announces new approach to catechesis on marriage
 Australian archbishop recalls saving human-trafficking victim
 Paraguay’s bishops dismayed by sudden approval of constitutional amendment
 Outspoken abuse victim does not expect to rejoin papal commission
 California brings felony charges against pro-lifers for undercover Planned Parenthood videos
 Appointment of bishop ends long dispute between Vatican, Argentina
 Egyptian police arrest Copts who protested kidnapping
 Islamic State damaged 12,000 Christian homes in Iraq’s Nineveh region
 Papal greeting for Iraqi delegates to inter-religious talks
 Pope renews appeal for peace in Mosul, Iraq
 Papal audience topic: Abraham’s witness of faith, hope
 Cardinal Pell weighs in on Trump
 Vatican official commemorates anniversary of Mother Angelica’s death
 Patriarch praises rural Russian conservatism
 Cardinal Nichols offers Mass for terrorist attack victims
 EU bishops’ commission calls for targeted VAT reductions
 Cardinal Parolin calls for local food solutions to combat hunger

Released Tuesday, Mar. 28

 Another Mexican priest killed
 Mexican bishop under fire after charging corruption in local state government
 Cardinal Vingt-Trois of Paris sidelined by Guillain-Barre syndrome
 Bolivian feminists join bishops in opposition to bill allowing abortion for poor women
 Pope’s liturgical schedule for Holy Week released
 Pope Francis: elimination of nuclear weapons is moral imperative
 Congo bishops withdraw from role as mediator between government, opposition
 English Catholics, Lutherans commemorate Reformation
 Cardinal Marx meets with Merkel challenger
 Indonesia: Muslims protest parish construction; police fire tear gas
 Communist leader: Catholic-Orthodox split fostered West’s hatred of Russia

Released Monday, Mar. 27

 European Parliament leaders visit Norcia, pledge support to rebuild basilica
 Mexico City archdiocese: ‘immoral’ to help build Trump’s border wall
 Pope meets with bishops from Western Canada
 India: cemetery vandalized after Hindu group charges Christians with forced conversions
 Mexican bishop: faithful have a duty to oppose abortion, protect life
 German Cardinal Marx suggests lay-run parishes
 Court allows re-trial of Philadelphia monsignor after conviction was reversed
 Leaders of Roman Curia rally around papal abuse commission
 Pope Francis: follow the light of Christ, abandon ‘false lights’
 115 Spanish martyrs beatified
 Pope Francis, in Milan, preaches on Annunciation, speaks on evangelization
 Fiji’s president meets with Pope

Released Friday, Mar. 24

 Pope tells European leaders: solidarity will overcome populism, ‘fruit of egotism’
 Milan: special art exhibit to mark visit by Pope Francis
 Vatican journalists protest high cost for accompanying papal flights
 Salvadoran bishops anxious for canonization of Archbishop Romero
 Vatican envoy pushes for international action on climate change, development
 Experts fear basilica of the Holy Sepulchre could collapse
 Nigerian cardinal: dialogue with Islam is productive
 Papal preacher delivers 3rd Lenten Sermon
 Christ’s restored tomb inaugurated in Jerusalem
 Cardinal calls for prayer, solidarity following Westminster attack
 USCCB leadership issues statement on migrants, refugees
 Syria: jihadists advance on Christian city

Released Thursday, Mar. 23

 Texas Anglican-use parish adopted into Anglican ordinariate
 At UN forum, Vatican envoy calls for international pacts to ensure safe water supply
 Cameroon’s president meets with Pontiff
 Puerto Rican religious leaders ask for US help in debt crisis
 In Africa, faith is a ‘happy matter,’ says Cardinal Arinze
 German proposal would annul convictions under anti-sodomy law, grant compensation to convicts
 Pope sends condolences after London attack
 Cardinal Parolin sees ‘deep malaise’ in Europe
 Vatican decrees advance 78 candidates for beatification, canonization
 Fatima seers cleared for canonization
 Cardinal William Keeler, retired Archbishop of Baltimore, dead at 86

Released Wednesday, Mar. 22

 European Commission confirms pledge to support reconstruction of Norcia basilica
 Cardinal Bagnasco leery of Italian living-will proposal
 Bishop says Pope will visit South Sudan in October
 Strong papal endorsement for ‘24 Hours’ initiative for Confessions
 Migration poses greatest world problem since World War II, Pope tells audience
 Hope is shown in endurance, encouragement, Pope tells Wednesday audience
 Cardinal Farrell: focus of Amoris Laetitia is preventing marriage divisions
 Restoration of Christ’s tomb in Holy Sepulchre basilica completed
 Christian nannies, maids face abuse in Saudi Arabia
 Moscow Patriarchate opposes burial of Lenin’s body
 USCCB: praise, criticism for GOP healthcare proposal
 Kuwait: man with knife disrupts Mass

Released Tuesday, Mar. 21

 African Catholics reject Communion for divorced/remarried, theologian reports
 In World Youth Day message, Pope meditates on Magnificat
 Another Mexican priest attacked
 Court paves way for sale of Los Angeles convent to Katy Perry
 Philippine bishops issue statement against capital punishment
 Punjab proposes changes to Christian marriage law
 Pakistani bishops’ official against potential social media ban
 Archbishop: return to Aleppo
 Prelates welcome House resolution on environmental stewardship

Released Monday, Mar. 20

 Pope apologizes for Church involvement in Rwandan genocide
 Schedule released for papal visit to Fatima in May
 Chaldean Catholic patriarchate says it cannot supply priests for ‘diaspora’ communities
 Vatican official confirms: agreement with SSPX is close
 Former Pope’s health good as 90th birthday approaches
 Australia: priest stabbed by assailant before Mass
 Layman who refused to recite Hitler oath beatified
 Papal prayer for flood victims
 Pope Francis: renew the grace of baptism, encounter Christ personally
 +Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, 84
 Vatican appeal for Holy Land collection
 Pope to visit Egypt in April
 Papal preacher reflects on Christ, true God from true God

Released Friday, Mar. 17

 Mafia boss cannot be godfather, Sicilian archbishop says
 Cuban magazine reproduces notes for talk Pope delivered before 2013 conclave
 Australian Anglican bishop resigns, cites ‘systemic’ protection for abusers
 Vatican UN envoy: equal treatment for women implies recognizing their special role
 Pope leads penance service, speaks on what makes a good confessor
 Vatican newspaper article criticizes dissent from Amoris Laetitia
 Vatican newspaper draws attention to administrative procedures to dissolve marriage
 Irish primate: reflect on St. Patrick as an undocumented migrant
 Dutch Catholic reaction to populist’s defeat
 Knights of Columbus calls on US government to assist persecuted Christians

Released Thursday, Mar. 16

 Archbishop reins in Neocatechumenal Way in Guam
 Caritas Europa decries restrictions on immigration
 Pope meets Lebanese president, promises a visit
 UN report rips ‘apartheid regime’ in Israel
 Bishops resume mediation of peace talks in Democratic Republic of Congo
 Vatican spokesman reflects on Pope’s ‘sincere humanity’
 Church of England issues documents on abuse
 Caritas appeal for migrant, refugee children
 Cardinal Sodano: Fatima is a message of hope
 Pope meets with man considering suicide
 Vatican newspaper: stakes high in Dutch election

Released Wednesday, Mar. 15

 New Mexico bishops decry ‘scandal’ of pro-abortion Catholic politicians
 European Court upholds employer’s ban on all workplace religious displays
 Bolivian bishops decry proposal to allow abortion in cases of poverty
 Real human liberation comes through the Gospel, Pope says
 Nigerian archbishop pleads for peace in Lenten message
 Former vicar general of Minnesota archdiocese leaves priesthood
 Worker layoffs can be ‘very grave sin,’ Pope says
 Vatican cardinal cautions against sentimental ‘mercy without reason’
 Pope Francis reflects on charity and hope
 UK: prelate welcomes government guidance on end-of-life care
 Federal court: 1964 Civil Rights Act does not bar discrimination on basis of sexual orientation
 Attack on church in Luxembourg
 Campaign to end Mass on Spanish public TV

Released Tuesday, Mar. 14

 Former sex-abuse commission member rebuts Cardinal Müller’s defense of Vatican
 Catholic parish in Ankara, Turkey, will host Orthodox liturgies
 Archbishop Paglia wants ‘broadest possible agreement’ on Italian living-will legislation
 Church is only hope for many in South Sudan
 British Parliament advances bill to liberalize abortion law
 On anniversary of election, Cardinal Parolin speaks on Pope’s priorities
 Alberta: proposal to end funding for independent Catholic schools
 Parish desecrated in Argentina
 Pope Francis: contemplate the ‘two faces of Jesus,’ crucified and transfigured
 Anglican Evensong in St. Peter’s Basilica
 Ethiopia: 4 nuns die in crash
 Catholic Charities USA: GOP healthcare legislation needs to be improved
 Mosul: Catholic parish became office for ISIS authorities

Released Monday, Mar. 13

 First US-born martyr to be beatified in September
 Canadian bishops rip premier’s plan to fund abortion overseas
 St. Patrick added to Russian Orthodox calendar
 Pope asks priests to recommend candidates to become Vicar of Rome
 Myanmar approves diplomatic relations with Vatican
 Rabbi says Pope’s homilies could threaten Catholic-Jewish relations
 Irish premier demands Church payments on abuse costs
 Argentina: anti-Catholic protests, attacks on Women’s Day
 Papal prayer for victims of fire in Guatemala
 Pope Francis: Christ’s transfiguration shows where the cross leads
 Pope to preside at penance service in St. Peter’s Basilica
 Pope Francis: listen to others, as God listens to our prayers
 Canadian study links theological orthodoxy, church growth
 Papal preacher begins Lenten sermons on the Holy Spirit

Released Friday, Mar. 10

 Abuse commission member: questions remain on how Church will respond
 Newark’s Cardinal Tobin leads pleas for immigrant facing deportation
 Lenten Exercises concluded, Pope and Curial leader return to Vatican
 Pope to visit Colombia in September
 Cardinal laments legal threat to tribal farmers
 Prelate decries hate crimes against Indian nationals in US
 Prelates call on US, Europe to be more generous to refugees
 Malta archbishop calls for revitalized faith in European unity
 Jesuit general calls for new ecclesiology to promote women’s inclusion
 Patriarch calls for redrafting of Iraqi constitution

Released Thursday, Mar. 9

 Bishops warn of ‘unraveling and chaos’ in Democratic Republic of Congo
 Jesuit general: Trump immigration policies violate American, Christian values
 Venezuela opposition leader questions Vatican absence from crisis talks
 Papal intervention quells dispute over Roman Rota procedures
 Sisters continue protesting sale of convent to Katy Perry
 Guam archdiocese sets up $1-million fund for abuse victims
 Papal nuncio in Ireland transferred to Albania
 Agreement on prelature could be close, SSPX leader confirms
 Pope praises Cardinal Burke as a lawyer, criticizes fundamentalists
 Arson at church in Jerusalem
 Wyoming judge censured for same-sex marriage refusal
 USCCB: prelates weigh in on health care reform
 Irish nun attacked in Philippines
 Kenya prelate warns against election violence
 Papal prayer intentions for 2018

Released Wednesday, Mar. 8

 South Sudan: bishop says president’s call for day of prayer is politically motivated ‘mockery’
 Over 1 million demonstrate against gender ideology in Peru
 Korean bishops open causes for beatification of over 200 martyrs, including victims of Communism
 ‘Nuns on the Bus’ leader assails Church’s male hierarchy
 American conservatives provoked crisis in Knights of Malta, says reinstated chancellor
 No news on Indian priest, a year after abduction
 Vatican supports equality for women in military service, envoy tells OSCE
 Pope speaks on priestly celibacy, populism in new interview
 Women’s consultation group created within pontifical council
 Do not forget prayer or the poor, retreat master tells Pope, Curia
 No preferential treatment for persecuted Christians in revised executive order
 Jesuit Refugee Service calls for greater protection of refugees
 Patriarch: 80% of Syriac Catholics now live outside homeland
 Slain journalist’s mother meets with Pope

Released Tuesday, Mar. 7

 Venezuelan archbishop: hundreds of families have no food
 Pennsylvania bishop enters accord with federal prosecutor on sex-abuse response
 Over bishops’ opposition, legislators in Philippines move to restore capital punishment
 Trump challenges Planned Parenthood to stop abortions
 Nuncio outlines Holy See’s diplomatic priorities at UN
 EU bishops’ commission calls for work-free Sundays
 Pope, Curia reflect on St. Matthew’s Gospel
 ‘Catastrophic’ humanitarian situation in South Sudan
 Trump visits Catholic school in Florida
 USCCB: prelate criticizes President Trump’s new executive order on refugees

Released Monday, Mar. 6

 Egyptian official: jihadists threaten Islam as well as Christianity
 New York archdiocese plans to mortgage prime Manhattan property to pay sex-abuse costs
 Vatican congregation not informed about Pope’s plans to review liturgical translations?
 Charge that Curia resists papal reforms is inaccurate ‘cliché,’ says Cardinal Müller
 Austrian archdiocese sees surge in immigrant converts
 Church musicians call for revival of Catholic sacred music
 Vatican publishes financial figures, showing smaller deficit for 2015
 Irish archbishop horrified by confirmation of unmarked babies’ graves
 Pope, Curia begin annual Lenten retreat
 Pope Francis: turn to the Bible to engage in spiritual combat
 Pope: improve seminarians’ education to counter ‘banality’ of contemporary Church music
 Australian prelate faces calls for resignation
 Care for the sick, Cardinal Nichols emphasizes in pastoral letter
 New cardinatial church

Released Friday, Mar. 3

 As Vatican Radio ends short-wave broadcasts, others expand
 3rd Minnesota diocese files for bankruptcy
 Archbishop Chaput: Pope cannot change teaching on marriage
 Restoration of Christ’s tomb in Holy Sepulchre basilica nears completion
 Egypt’s al Sisi says Muslims, Christians should be seen as equal citizens
 Vatican soccer tournament kicks off this weekend
 Member quit papal abuse commission to ‘shake things up,’ says Vatican Secretary of State
 Prelate calls for international action to stop war in Ukraine
 European heads of state, government to meet with Pope
 Work for communion of peoples, Belgian bishops ask in Lenten message
 Ecumenical prayer day theme: ‘Am I being unfair to you?’
 Pontifical council publishes booklet for ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ confession initiative
 Australia: Catholic Worker members vandalize war memorial cross

Released Thursday, Mar. 2

 Over 31,000 refugees leave South Sudan
 Vatican conference: wealthy humans responsible for global warming, extinction of species
 Miracle attributed to intercession of Bl. Archbishop Romero
 Pope encourages Rome’s priests to grow in faith
 Vice President Pence to be Notre Dame commencement speaker
 Lent is a time to start ‘breathing again,’ Pope says in Ash Wednesday homily
 German prelate warns against populism, emphasizes global common good
 UK prelate welcomes government announcement on sex education
 Russian patriarch criticizes search for ‘likes’ on social media
 Dutch bishops affirm support for EU
 ‘The monk who saves manuscripts from ISIS’
 Cardinal Cupich: sanctuary churches create ‘false hope’; immigration officials need warrant

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