Catholic Culture Overview
Catholic Culture Overview

Stories for May 2017

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Wednesday, May. 31

 Filipino bishops cautious about martial law in Mindanao
 Russian Patriarch praises French protests against same-sex marriage
 Papal condolence after Kabul terror attack
 New president of Pontifical International Marian Academy
 Brazilian priest named secretary of new dicastery
 Year of St. Martin concludes in Tours
 Pope Francis reflects on the Holy Spirit and hope
 Ecumenical Patriarch visits Germany
 Putin attends consecration of church dedicated to martyrs of Communism
 Hungarian government aids Catholic clinic in Iraq

Released Tuesday, May. 30

 India: police in Hindu state charge Christian adults with ‘attempted conversion’ of children
 Canadian archbishop has spoken with Pope about apology for native school
 Trump administration plans to eliminate contraceptive mandate for religious institutions
 Vatican drops plan for papal trip to South Sudan in October
 Pope preaches on ‘Pentecost of Ephesus,’ warns against ‘ideological faith’
 Abducted Philippine priest appears in video
 Minya attack: Christians were given opportunity to convert to Islam before being killed
 South Korean president seeks Pope’s help in resolving Korean crisis
 USCCB: prayers, condolences following terrorist attacks
 EU bishops’ commission calls for stronger online safeguards for children

Released Monday, May. 29

 Pope praises entrepreneurs, but blasts speculation, competition
 Irish religious order cedes control of hospitals, reacting to fear of religious influence
 Canadian premier meets with Pontiff, seeks apology for Church role in native schools
 Euthanasia never justified, says new head of Italian bishops’ conference
 New Mexico diocese: immigration agents must show warrants
 Top Vatican officials meet with Pontiff
 President Trump issues Ramadan statement
 Report: renewed crackdown on Christians in Eritrea
 Pope calls for ‘truly constructive’ communication on social media
 Pontiff prays for victims of recent terrorist attacks
 The Church ‘exists to proclaim the Gospel,’ Pontiff tells faithful
 Pope visits Genoa, preaches on prayer and proclamation
 In telegram to Egypt’s president, Pope laments attack on Copts

Released Friday, May. 26

 Plans for papal visit to Holy Land?
 Vatican envoy pushes for measures to protect civilians in wartime
 Rigidity is enemy of missionary work, Pope tells Little Missionary Sisters of Charity
 Beatification cause opened for slain French priest, Father Jacques Hamel
 Moscow patriarchate seeks allies in battle against restrictive legislation in Ukraine
 Massacre of Copts on pilgrimage in Egypt
 Pope names new vicar general of Rome, archpriest of Lateran Basilica
 Philippine terrorists reportedly threaten to execute hostages
 Christians face fines in Azerbaijan for distributing literature
 UN meeting on disaster risk reduction: Cardinal Parolin outlines Holy See’s position
 Turn to Our Lady, Help of Christians, Pope tells faithful

Released Wednesday, May. 24

 India: arrests in vandalization of new church
 Venezuelan cardinal quotes Archbishop Romero in plea for end to government repression
 French abuse victims press lawsuit against Cardinal Barbarin, other bishops
 ‘Underground’ Chinese bishop taken into custody again
 SSPX bishops authorized to ordain priests without permission of local bishops
 Islamic militants attack cathedral on Mindanao, seize 15 hostages
 Brazil’s bishops denounce corruption following allegations against president
 Pope Francis receives President Trump: video, full text of Vatican statement
 Emmaus account shows Jesus’ ‘therapy of hope,’ Pope says in weekly audience
 USCCB committee chair welcomes Trump administration action on Haitian migrants
 Cardinal Bassetti named president of Italian Episcopal Conference
 Pope Francis: ‘person-based approach’ to economics promotes ‘entrepreneurial spirit’

Released Tuesday, May. 23

 Vatican envoy reminds UN: war is main reason for emigration
 Belgian bishops reject hospitals’ decision to allow euthanasia
 Italian bishops nominate candidates to head episcopal conference
 Sexual abuse hits 1 in 5 children in South Africa, bishops report
 St. Louis archbishop vows defiance of new city ordinance on abortion
 Vietnam: police attack protesters after activist’s arrest
 Prelates voice horror at Manchester terror attack
 Pope, in parish visit, emphasizes importance of gentleness, respect
 Rosaries, religious statues banned from car dashboards in Philippines
 Venezuelan cardinal denounces government violence
 6 prelates weigh in on Trump budget, find defense spending increase ‘profoundly troubling’
 Oppose slaughter of Christians, Trump tells Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia
 New Texas law protects sermons from government subpoenas

Released Monday, May. 22

 Irish president meets with Pope
 Papal encouragement for Sister Disciples of the Divine Master
 Mob vandalizes new church in India
 English bishop sees influence of gay-rights advocates in bishops’ program
 Italian bishops meet with Pontiff; new head of episcopal conference to be named
 Pakistan: government spokesman says ‘religious cleansing must stop’
 Callista Gingrich named US ambassador to Holy See
 Christian communities should be characterized by love, Pope says in address
 Be open to dialogue, Pontiff asks Chinese Catholics
 Pray for Central African Republic, Pope urges faithful
 Pope names 5 new cardinals

Released Friday, May. 19

 Pope makes surprise visit to housing project, knocking on parishioners’ doors
 Jesuit superior general signed letter of support for Fidel Castro
 Judge acts to trim legal fees in Minnesota archdiocese bankruptcy case
 Cardinal Maradiaga makes personal attack on Cardinal Burke
 Doctrine can become ideology, and is then divisive, Pope warns
 Cardinal welcomes apparent slowdown in China negotiations, criticizes Vatican officials
 Judge reopens Romero murder case
 Anglican prelates urge voters to consider faith, ‘British values’
 Venezuela’s bishops call on government to end oppression
 Commission prods President Trump on international religious freedom

Released Thursday, May. 18

 Russian Patriarch says meeting with Pope drew world’s attention to persecution
 Pope postpones Corpus Christi procession
 Australian archbishop seeks dismissal of charge for concealing evidence of abuse
 Russian Patriarch urges opposition to proposal changing status of Orthodox churches in Ukraine
 Never destroy embryos for research, Pope cautions research scientists
 Nations must promote humane economy, fight fundamentalism, Pope tells new ambassadors
 Abbas meets with Russian patriarch
 Mexican anti-drug trafficking priest meets with Pontiff
 Pope pays tribute to World War II veterans, recalls saint’s love for the Eucharist
 Lawmaker: European Parliament must send ‘strong message’ against persecution of Christians
 Leading prelate calls for ‘radical change’ in Venezuela, condemns oppression, pleads for aid

Released Wednesday, May. 17

 Legislators in Philippines defeat bid to impeach Duterte
 Life is not ‘normal’ for Palestinians, bishops’ conference of Holy Land says
 Australian prosecutors near decision on complaints against Cardinal Pell
 Amazon may be topic for future Synod
 Benedict XVI praises Cardinal Sarah for new book
 Pope reflects on ‘Mary Magdalene, apostle of hope’
 EU bishops’ commission: robots should not be treated as legal persons
 US bishops to discuss religious liberty, immigration at spring meeting
 Aleppo consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima
 Spanish church desecrated
 Cardinal laments delay in securing Chibok girls’ release

Released Tuesday, May. 16

 Italian priest, charity leader charged with stealing funds destined for immigrants
 Italian soccer officials meet with Pontiff
 Mexican priest stabbed in cathedral
 Catholic prelates lead mediation efforts in Central African Republic
 Vatican prelate predicts Pope will change Trump’s view on climate change
 French president-elect Macron receives papal congratulations
 Vatican commission gave mixed verdict on Medjugorje phenomena: report
 Vatican financial overseers report decline in suspicious activity
 Pope to meet with Italy’s president
 Schedule announced for papal visit to Genoa
 Texas religious leaders condemn immigration-enforcement legislation
 Nigerian to lead Lutheran World Federation
 State Dept. implements expanded ‘Mexico City policy’
 South Korean bishop calls for war-crimes investigation
 2 attacks on Christians distributing literature in India

Released Monday, May. 15

 Australian archbishop welcomes defeat of bid to decriminalize abortion
 Feminist demonstrators found not guilty for disrupting papal audience in 2013
 US archbishop cautious in response to Trump’s religious-freedom order
 Syriac prelates urge UN protection for Christians in northern Iraq; Chaldean patriarchate demurs
 ‘Beauty will save the world,’ archbishop tells UN officials at conference on Raphael’s art
 Callista Gingrich to be nominated as US ambassador to Vatican?
 Cardinal Pell’s aide denounces new abuse allegations
 Pope prays at Marian basilica after visit to Fatima
 Saudi cleric: forbid Sign of the Cross in soccer competition
 English bishop: sanctity of life comes first in appraising political candidates
 Scottish bishops urge voters to defend life
 ‘We have a Mother!’: Pope canonizes 2 Fatima visionaries
 ‘There is so much need of prayer and penance,’ Pope says following pilgrimage
 Pontiff entrusts war victims, mothers to Mary
 Irish Jesuit beatified
 Pope weighs in on Trump meeting, SSPX, Medjugorje

Released Friday, May. 12

 Pope arrives at Fatima
 Mural on Roman wall depicts Pope embracing Trump
 Brooklyn diocese ousts non-Catholic charter school from church-owned building
 Australian bishops split on proposal to discuss limits of confessional seal
 Egypt: Islamic cleric suspended from ministry after denouncing Christians and Jews
 Creditors reject archdiocesan reorganization plan in Minnesota bankruptcy case
 Pope discusses ‘methodological distinction’ between theology, science
 Vatican newspaper highlights Ecumenical Advocacy Days
 Venezuela’s bishops blast Maduro proposal for new assembly
 Protect people from extremism, Russian patriarch says in message to Macron
 Pence, cardinal, nuncio at summit in defense of persecuted Christians
 Violence against Muslim converts to Christianity in Germany

Released Thursday, May. 11

 Pope’s message to Latin American hierarchy: listen to the laity
 Australian state rejects bid to decriminalize abortion
 Latin American bishops blame Maduro for Venezuela’s crisis
 Belgian Jews decry legislative to outlaw kosher slaughter
 South Korean prelate urges move toward reunification
 Reconciliation of SSPX depends only on doctrinal statement, Vatican official says
 French sociologists see Macron as exemplar of ‘Zombie Catholicism’
 Mexican priest explains his work, helping migrants reach US
 +Archbishop Wang Chongyi, 97
 Bishops decry treatment of ethnic minorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina
 South Korea’s bishops call on new president to puruse peace
 Religious identity reasserts itself in Eastern Europe
 Archdiocese, religious orders divest from fossil fuel companies
 Pope encourages Marian devotion, recalls St. John of Ávila, St. Stanislaus

Released Wednesday, May. 10

 New Vatican clash over economic reforms
 Papal message to Portuguese people in advance of trip to Fatima
 Reconstruction begins in Christian villages freed from Islamic State
 Jesuits returning South Dakota lands to Native Americans
 Vatican probe of Belgian Catholic hospitals’ choice for euthanasia
 Papal greeting, thanks to Coptic Orthodox leader
 Vatican tribunal hears final witness against suspended Guam archbishop
 Corruption is a scourge in Latin America, Pope writes
 50,000 in Pompei for Mass, Supplication
 Pope reflects on Mary as Mother of hope
 Religious sisters in US come from at least 83 nations
 Millions at risk from famine in Somaliland
 Yemen: abducted priest pleads for help in new video
 Papal donation, message for beach project for the disabled

Released Tuesday, May. 9

 Cardinal Tobin ‘delighted’ with homosexual group’s plan for pilgrimage to Newark cathedral
 Macron won French Catholic vote, but National Front gained ground
 Venezuelan government cannot quell popular unrest, archbishop says
 US bishops’ conference to emphasize digital communications
 Paris: Cardinal Vingt-Trois to resume activities after bout with Guillain-Barre disease
 Melkite patriarch pressured to resign?
 Indonesia: ousted Christian governor convicted on blasphemy charge
 Leading rabbi meets with Pope
 Vatican scientific congress on black holes
 Be devoted to Our Lady, Pontiff tells seminarians
 Conference on Luther and Catholic tradition sponsored by Vatican committee, USCCB
 USCCB: new health-care bill has ‘major defects,’ is ‘deeply disappointing’
 7 Spanish martyrs beatified
 Pope ordains 10 priests, urges them to be merciful, joyful shepherds

Released Monday, May. 8

 French bishops’ spokesman happy with clear election result
 Hartford archdiocese announces parish closings, mergers
 Pope urges Rosary for peace
 Sense the love of the Good Shepherd, Pope tells faithful
 Swiss president meets with Pope
 Melkite patriarch resigns
 Pope summarizes Fátima message: restoring peace, saving sinners from damnation
 Pope raps ‘mother of all bombs’
 Be soldiers of Christ, resist Satan, Pope tells Swiss Guards
 Pope reflects on Ignatian spirituality and seminary formation

Released Friday, May. 5

 Greek Orthodox bishop challenges Turkey’s president to convert
 Venezuelan government shirks responsibility for crisis, cardinal says as unrest grows
 Another Christian given life sentence under Pakistan’s blasphemy law
 Kentucky bishop lauds New Ways Ministry, despite cautions from Vatican, US bishops
 European bishops’ conference spokesman raps lack of action on religious freedom
 Kazakh police raid Baptist churches
 Pope Francis: evangelize without proselytizing
 South Korean bishops: abandon nuclear energy
 Prelate: amid fundamentalist Islam, Pope is encouraging us not to be afraid
 Report: majority of Eastern Europe’s Catholics opposing admitting Syrian refugees
 Patriarch, Putin honor slain member of czar’s family

Released Thursday, May. 4

 Thomas Aquinas College takes control of property for new Massachusetts campus
 Trump issues order to protect religious freedom
 Pontifical Academy for Life weighs into Italy’s debate on euthanasia
 Vatican official criticizes title ‘Pope emeritus’
 South Sudan: thousands flock to cathedral to escape violence
 Catholic colleges invite anti-Catholic graduation speakers
 Michigan priest faces embezzlement charge
 England is mission territory, bishop says
 Mumbai: another cross demolished
 Myanmar, Vatican announce diplomatic relations
 Vatican communications efforts must look to digital future, Pope says
 Trump to meet Pope later this month
 Esolen to join faculty of Thomas More College 
 12 beatification causes advance, including Father Solanus Casey, 2 cardinals
 UN ambassador, formerly enslaved by ISIS, meets with Pope
 Pope encourages youth to pray the Rosary, recalls feast of Queen of Poland
 Spanish bishops issue Fátima statement
 Leading prelate affirms French bishops will not endorse presidential candidate
 Lawmaker: 1.5M Christians have left Iraq
 Relics of St. Nicholas to be venerated in Russia

Released Wednesday, May. 3

 Nuclear weapons do not offer security, Vatican envoy tells UN conference
 Kenyan bishops fear violence during election campaign
 Syriac Orthodox Patriarch accepts apologies from prelates who challenged leadership
 In Casablanca, former church will be museum, recalling Christian past
 Jordan’s King Abdullah vows to protect Christian minority
 Italian prosecutors ask acquittal for ‘right-to-die’ activist
 Nigerian bishop charges government collusion with Islamic militants
 Pope recalls journey to Egypt
 Spain: historic shrine vandalized
 Croatian diocese denounces blasphemous play
 Pope rebukes the hardhearted who condemn others
 USCCB: May 22, national day of prayer for mariners
 Cardinal Parolin: Catholic universities are important for youth discernment
 Pope Francis to Catholic Action: root your apostolate in the parish

Released Tuesday, May. 2

 Italian prosecutor: human traffickers involved in migrant-rescue efforts
 Indian cardinal protests city’s demolition of historic cross
 Pontifical Academy calls for inclusive society
 Venezuela’s President Maduro claims opposition spurns Pope’s call for negotiations
 Pro-lifers dismayed: GOP spending proposal would fund Planned Parenthood
 Russian bishops’ official criticizes ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses
 Canada: Christian leaders prod Trudeau on South Sudan
 Ecumenical Patriarch emphasizes importance of ecology, childhood
 Nigerian bishop: government doing little to stop Fulani attacks
 Egyptian priests: Pope’s visit a big success
 Pope’s prayer intention for May 2017

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