Catholic Culture Resources
Catholic Culture Resources

Stories for February 2015

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Friday, Feb. 27

 Captors threaten to kill kidnapped Jesuit if he returns to Afghanistan
 Vatican spokesman denies books mailed to Synod participants were intercepted
 New Vatican leaks aim to undercut Secretariat for Economy
 Irish columnist: priests should speak out on same-sex marriage
 Norway’s leading prelate investigated for fraud
 Priest murdered in Congo
 Report: 77% of world lives under severe restrictions on religious freedom
 Resist the aggressor, Ukrainian Catholic leader says in Lenten letter
 Pope, Curia conclude Lenten retreat
 Former Vatican prosecutor named Malta’s leading prelate
 Austria revises law on Islam
 Catholic, other organizations object to new federal regulation on unaccompanied minors

Released Thursday, Feb. 26

 Syrian Christians feel abandoned, papal nuncio reports
 Cardinal Pell on marriage, divorce, and Henry VIII
 Profile of homeless man buried in Vatican cemetery
 US bishops' spokesman welcomes FCC vote on 'internet neutrality'
 Jerusalem: Orthodox seminary torched, Jewish extremists suspected
 Vatican foundation announces ‘economy and society’ book prize winners
 House of Lords approves 3-parent babies
 Judge sides with Catholic agency, rules ‘polyamory’ is not a protected orientation
 USCCB: support Health Care Conscience Rights Act
 Leading Russian Orthodox official sees Russia as ‘only center of non-enslaved civilization’
 Ukrainian Catholic leader: Ukrainians ‘hurt’ by Pope’s description of war
 Islamic State begins killing hostages; 5,000 Christians flee in Syria

Released Wednesday, Feb. 25

 Homeless man to be buried in Vatican cemetery
 Indian archbishop thanks prime minister for role in release of kidnapped Jesuit
 Synod office reportedly blocked delivery of book challenging Kasper proposal
 San Francisco archbishop not backing down on policies for Catholic-school teachers
 Preacher at Vatican Lenten Retreat: face the truths about ourselves
 Filipino bishops split on call for ouster of president
 Parliament defeats bid to outlaw sex-selection abortion in UK
 Ghana archbishop makes 'daring' suggestion that 'power of the keys' could allow remarriage
 Mosque torched near Bethlehem; militant Jews suspected
 American missionary kidnapped in Nigeria
 Report finds increasing hostility to religious expression in US
 Chinese authorities still refuse to release body of deceased ‘underground’ bishop
 Church should present moral teaching with sensitivity, says Dublin archbishop
 Ukrainian Catholic leader pays tribute to slain Euromaidan protestors
 Thousands of Egyptians flee Libya
 Report: Islamic State burns down 4 Syrian churches
 Vatican issues statement on Pope’s ‘Mexicanization’ comment

Released Tuesday, Feb. 24

 Beatification cause opened for former head of Knights of Malta
 Islamic State destroys public library in Mosul
 Coptic Church mobilizing to evacuate Egyptians from Libya
 Oklahoma priest removed from post after civil marriage
 English bishops urge participation in national elections
 President Obama issues statement on Lent
 European bishops’ organization criticizes surrogacy
 Mexican government protests reported papal comment on ‘Mexicanization’
 Philippine archbishop calls for president’s removal
 At least 100 Christians seized in Syria after Islamic State offensive
 New Zealand’s bishops welcome decision to send troops to Iraq
 ISIS militants ‘demonize Islam,’ says Russian patriarch
 Ukraine’s leading Latin-rite prelate discusses meeting with Pope

Released Monday, Feb. 23

 British lawmaker raps European bishops' group, defends nationalist parties
 Iraqi Patriarch: Libyan conflict is a 'trap;' Europe should stay out
 Ukrainian Church leader: 'we expect the whole Christian world to take our side'
 Egyptians returning from Libya report forced labor, torture by Islamic militants
 Armenian saint named Doctor of the Church
 Syrian Orthodox priest released
 Indian Jesuit freed from captivity in Afghanistan
 Pope, Curia begin Lenten retreat
 Lent is a time of spiritual combat, Pope emphasizes
 Egypt’s leading Muslim cleric condemns killing of Christians
 Poverty, Ukraine, among topics of meeting between Pope, Merkel
 Pope calls for public conversion of those involved in organized crime

Released Friday, Feb. 20

 Archbishop Cordileone responds to legislators, defends school policy
 Coptic Catholics, remembering martyrs in Libya, dedicate new church in Sinai
 Pope backs peace in Ukraine, avoids criticism of Russia, in meeting with country's bishops
 Newark archdiocese removes reference to archbishop in title of annual fundraising appeal
 Venezuelan government 'trampling rule of law,' archbishop charges
 Police in Delhi promise special patrols to protect Christian churches
 Vatican pension fund is solvent, auditors assure
 Vatican initiative encourages Confession, making priests available in churches on March 13
 European bishops' conference lament rise of nationalist parties, skepticism about EU
 Report: 30% of Kenyan vaccine samples contained sterility-inducing antigen
 India: bishops’ conference calls for action on religious toleration
 Prelate emphasizes: Ukraine conflict is invasion, not civil war
 Cardinal Bergoglio on the celebration of the Mass
 Ecumenical Patriarch: Orthodoxy is the ‘green Church par excellence’
 France: over 200 cemeteries vandalized in 2014
 Judge rules against florist in same-sex wedding case

Released Thursday, Feb. 19

 Cardinal Bertone, in interview, defends record, comments on Vatican policies
 South Sudan: bishop welcomes postponement of elections
 Without God, successful life can be total failure, Pope says
 New York Times recounts sex-abuse scandal in Spanish archdiocese
 Swiss Guard ready to counter Islamic threat, new commandant says
 Rival Ukrainian Orthodox groups at odds over government's battle with separatists
 Christians in Middle East living the Way of the Cross, Melkite Patriarch says
 New approach to intellectual-property rights needed in medical field, Vatican delegate tells UN
 Cardinal Marx questions Cardinal Pell's statement on Vatican assets
 Pope emphasizes need for reverence in liturgy, at meeting with priests of Rome
 Cardinal Kasper: Pope Francis is a ‘radical,’ not a ‘liberal’
 India’s prime minister calls for religious toleration
 Mexican bishops decry corruption
 Holy See diplomat weighs in on UN’s post-2015 development agenda
 Southern African bishops denounce human trafficking
 Nuncio: Russian annexation of Crimea is ‘gross violation’ of law
 Return to the Lord, Pope says in Ash Wednesday homily

Released Wednesday, Feb. 18

 Detroit archdiocese completes move to new headquarters
 Islamic State harvesting human organs for revenue?
 Brazilian bishops open annual Lenten campaign
 Cologne archdiocese discloses assets of over $3.8 billion
 Boston archdiocese, in real-estate deal, seeks income stream from unused property
 Asian Catholics dispensed from fasting as Ash Wednesday clashes with Lunar New Year
 Norwegian Muslims will form human cordon to protect Oslo synagogue
 Italian, Vatican officials meet to mark anniversary of Lateran Pacts
 Chaldean Patriarch asks Iraq's Muslims to join Christians in Lenten prayers for peace
 Pope thanks Italian coast guard for rescue operations with migrants
 Vatican security 'very high,' Italian government minister reports
 California lawmakers rap San Francisco archdiocesan policies for high-school teachers
 Indian prime minister finally speaks out on anti-Christian violence
 Pope pleads for peace in Libya, Ukraine
 Sex-abuse problem still pressing, Cardinal O'Malley says
 Copts died in Libya with the name of Jesus on their lips, bishop testifies
 Restore the bonds of brotherhood, Pope urges audience
 Vatican Secretary of State calls for international intervention in Libya

Released Tuesday, Feb. 17

 Catholic aid group commits $2.8 million to help Christians in Syria
 Vatican opens weekly haircuts-for-homeless service
 Cardinal Zen sees Vatican-Beijing accord unlikely
 Centre for Child Protection opens offices in Rome, expands its services
 Vatican economic reform plans meeting resistance, leading Italian journalist reports
 Leading Ukrainian prelate issues letter on war
 Report: Islamic State bans Valentine’s Day
 South Africa’s bishops decry parliamentary chaos
 Be pure of heart, Pope says in message to youth
 Pope prays for Christians slain in Libya
 USCCB committee chair calls for congressional action on Cremisan Valley

Released Monday, Feb. 16

 Cardinal DiNardo foresees no change on Communion for divorce-remarried Catholics
 Then-Cardinal Bergoglio phones tapped by Argentine government?
 Vatican economics secretariat discovers $1.5 billion in unreported assets
 Tonga's royal couple meet with Pope
 Archbishop Chaput welcomes Pennsylvania governor's moratorium on capital punishment
 As Islamic State advances in Libya, bishop vows to stay
 Church of Scotland delegation meets with Pope
 Germany's Merkel to meet with Pope
 Famous line of chocolates was named for Lourdes grotto
 $400M Museum of the Bible being built in Washington
 USCCB committee chair: support State Marriage Defense Act
 Slain Copts hailed as martyrs for Christ
 Pope thanks association for aid to the poor
 Imitate Christ’s compassion for the sick, Pope tells faithful
 Pope urges new cardinals: reach out to the marginalized with love
 Pope creates 20 cardinals, exhorts them to be models of charity

Released Friday, Feb. 13

 Pope will not repeat special Mass for Italian parliament members
 Ukrainian Orthodox leader backs truce, asks prayers, decries conflicts among Christians
 Islamic State announces killing of 21 kidnapped Egyptian Christians
 Benedict XVI will attend consistory
 Vatican officials join inter-religious activities in India
 Cardinals continue discussion of Vatican reforms
 Syriac Catholic patriarch encourages Christians to stay in Middle East
 Palestinian Christian mayors travel to Vatican, discuss Cremisan Valley wall
 French bishop orders removal of Blessed Sacrament from tabernacles
 State court: calling homosexuality a disorder is like saying the earth is flat
 Border bishop offers House testimony on immigration legislation
 Iranian VP meets with Pope, plans cooperation on family matters
 Report: prelate says Vatican does not recognize annexation of Crimea

Released Thursday, Feb. 12

 Nigerian bishop: next president must address divisions within country
 Malnutrition widespread among children in Argentina, bishop charges
 Former Blue Cross staff member to head US bishops’ PR efforts
 Benedict XVI has no regrets about resignation, private secretary reports
 Curial reform plans unveiled: two new Vatican congregations proposed
 Pope Francis speaks to cardinals on reform of the Roman Curia
 Court rules in favor of Legion of Christ in case involving $60M will
 Ghana prelate backs Communion for divorce and remarried
 Typical new US religious: 37-year-old cradle Catholic with 3 or more siblings
 Holy See diplomat: the person should be at the center of UN development plans
 Number of Catholic healthcare, social-assistance institutions tops 115,000
 Ukrainian criticism of Vatican’s reaction to Russian intervention

Released Wednesday, Feb. 11

 Irish archbishop raps religious orders for slow implementation of sex-abuse policies
 Chicago priest pleads guilty to conspiring with late Mafia boss
 New papal appeal to help migrants at peril in Mediterranean
 Some Vatican offices resisting economic reforms, cardinal reports
 'C9' prepares to brief College of Cardinals on Curial reform
 Vatican dismisses 'unreliable' reports of plot to assassinate Pope Francis
 Report examines Jewish population trends in Europe
 Pope laments low birthrate, emphasizes that children are a gift and a joy
 ‘Powerful’ military action needed to fight Islamic State, says prelate
 Chaldean priest, once kidnapped and beaten, becomes bishop
 Ukrainian Catholic bishops in US: pray, fast for peace
 Iraqi prelate denies report of destruction of historic church
 Background: World Day of the Sick

Released Tuesday, Feb. 10

 Italian bishop helps dedicate new Islamic cultural center
 Top Italian court finds no constitutional right to same-sex marriage
 Strong Vatican plea for peace in Ukraine
 New research shows more emotional problems in children from same-sex households
 Jesuit schools dominate list of Catholic schools hosting V-Monologues
 Council of Cardinals meets, hones proposals on Vatican reforms
 Vatican releases comprehensive guide for homilies
 Cardinal Becker dead at 86
 Catholic Relief Services responds to allegation of support for pro-contraception program
 5 churches desecrated in French diocese
 India’s bishops: Christians are becoming ‘2nd-class citizens’
 Cardinal Muller sees curial reform as ‘purification of the temple’
 Dutch diocese to close over 75% of parishes
 Russian Orthodox official charged with treason

Released Monday, Feb. 9

 Nigerian bishops hope postponement of elections will help ensure peaceful vote, credible result
 Rome plans 'red light district' to regulate flourishing prostitution industry
 Slovak voters overwhelmingly support male-female marriage, but referendum is not binding
 Photo exhibit in Rome shows devastation of Syria
 Syrian Christians have been abandoned by the West, archbishop charges
 German bishop, removed for excessive spending, will take new post at Vatican
 Chaldean bishops urge world leaders to 'liberate' lands controlled by Islamic State
 Chinese authorities refuse to release body of deceased 'underground' bishop
 Pope visits shanty town outside Rome
 Catholic groups see clear religious-freedom violations in new local legislation for Washington, DC
 Abuse commission members question Pope's statement on parents spanking children
 Pope prays for human trafficking victims
 Pope Francis: bring the light of the Gospel to the sick
 Pontifical abuse commission studying bishops’ accountability
 Proclaim the Gospel with simplicity, Pope tells African bishops
 Pope calls upon laity to evangelize cities
 Address structural causes of hunger, Pope tells officials
 Pope Francis reflects on roles, generativity, and exploitation of women
 Exercise authority in service, Pope tells Italian officials

Released Friday, Feb. 6

 Canada's top court overturns ban on assisted suicide
 Italian Catholic charity sponsors recipe contest for inexpensive family meal
 Religious leaders pledge join effort for peace in Central African Republic
 Nigeria's Christians fearful of violence as presidential election approaches
 Serve the common good, Pope urges Italian city officials
 India's government apologizes for denying visa to Vatican prelates
 Franciscan monastery in Damascus hit by mortar shelling
 Governor vetoes bid to bar New Jersey Catholic cemeteries from selling headstones, but backs eventual passage
 Christian martyrs are suffering today, Pope reminds congregation
 South Sudan’s bishops call for end to civil war
 Judge to examine sexual abuse in English institutions
 Cardinal, Hungarian embassy pay tribute to nuncio’s actions in World War II
 EEOC issues religious-discrimination data
 Iraq: Christian militia forms to fight Islamic State
 Pope holds video chat with disabled children

Released Thursday, Feb. 5

 Kiribati's president meets with Pontiff
 Reports of priest slain by Islamic State in Mosul are false, archbishop says
 President Obama cites 'terrible deeds' of Christian history in address to National Prayer Breakfast
 Chicago archdiocese faces 'public nuisance' charge in new type of sex-abuse lawsuit
 India: police disrupt Catholic protest; government denies visas to Vatican officials
 Pope Francis to address Congress in joint session in September
 Evangelize and promote the common good, Pope tell Greek bishops
 Pope Francis exhorts Church leaders to cooperate with sexual abuse commission
 USCCB committee chair calls upon bishops to highlight National Marriage Week
 Slovak bishops urge yes vote in referendum on marriage, sex education
 Report: Islamic State opens market to sell plundered Christian property
 Chaldean patriarch decries divisions, other problems within Church
 New cardinal profile: Archbishop Francesco Montenegro

Released Wednesday, Feb. 4

 Archbishop Romero bore witness to faith that 'would not stay silent,' says postulator for his cause
 Italian archbishop: abortions caused economic crisis
 Outraged Muslim leaders condemn Islamic State after burning of Jordanian pilot
 600,000 already registered for public viewing of Shroud of Turin
 Armenian Apostolic Church to canonize victims of 1915 genocide
 Medjugorje visit not planned during papal trip to Sarajevo
 Russian Orthodox Patriarch praises 'balanced' Vatican stand on Ukraine
 Pope appeals for peace, dialogue in Ukraine
 Islamic State invades Syrian town, forces Christians to remove cross from church
 Pope Francis speaks on the mission of fathers in families
 Pray daily for the Ukrainian army, says Church leader
 Religious instruction abolished in Luxembourg schools
 New cardinal profile: Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanitij

Released Tuesday, Feb. 3

 British House of Commons approves '3-parent' in-vitro fertilization procedure
 Chinese Bishop Shi Enxiang, 'underground' Church leader imprisoned since 2001, dead at 94
 Jordanian government official: ISIS is not Islamic, mockery of Allah is not Christian
 Pope Francis nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
 Minnesota archdiocese lists $45 million in assets, over $100 million in potential liabilities, in bankruptcy filing
 Vatican urges UN: do not ignore attacks on Christian women and girls
 New Delhi church desecrated; 5th church vandalized since December
 Archbishop Romero recognized as a martyr
 New head of Swiss Guard
 Vatican press conference on international day against human trafficking
 Dachau: ‘the largest cemetery of Catholic priests in the world’
 Stockpile food as election approaches, Church in Nigeria advises
 Pope calls religious to ‘docility and obedience’
 New cardinal profile: Archbishop Charles Maung Bo

Released Monday, Feb. 2

 Italian polls shows opinion swing against same-sex marriage
 Burundi: priest says arrest of radio host seems a bid to 'silence the truth' on murder of nuns
 Portrait of papal almoner, bringing help for Rome's homeless
 Cardinal George reports doctors have 'run out of tricks' in cancer treatment
 Vatican prosecutor tackled child-porn, drug dealing, money laundering cases in 2014
 Bethlehem's mayor to seek papal involvement in dispute over Israeli security wall
 Catholic relief agency to have almost 5,000 election observers in Nigeria, fears outbreak of violence
 Vatican video on women withdrawn after wide criticism
 Pope lauds fidelity of Church in Lithuania, warns of threats to family life
 Pope Francis emphasizes: the Gospel can change hearts
 Pope announces trip to Sarajevo, calls for protection of human life
 Safeguard creation, Pope urges farmers
 Papal telegram to new Italian president
 Pope approves synod participants from nearly 30 nations

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