Catholic Culture Liturgical Living
Catholic Culture Liturgical Living

Stories for February 2018

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Wednesday, Feb. 28

 Council of Cardinals discussed Vatican cost controls, role of episcopal conferences
 New Jersey archdiocese loses challenge to state law on cemetery tombstone sales
 Church of the Holy Sepulcher reopens
 Korean archbishop apologizes after priest accused of attempted rape
 Catholic leaders consider married priests to ease Amazon clergy shortage
 Federal court: 1964 Civil Rights Act’s ban on sex discrimination extends to sexual orientation
 Catholic groups stage DACA protest on Capitol Hill; dozens arrested
 ‘Timeless’ new cathedral to be dedicated in Tennessee
 Syria conflict: Women ‘sexually exploited in return for aid’
 Los Angeles medieval art exhibit emphasizes identity politics
 Colombia’s ELN rebels to hold ceasefire during legislative elections
 Putin orders daily cease-fire in Syrian rebel enclave that UN calls ‘hell on Earth’
 In Australia, Catholic primary schools face overhaul
 Bangladeshi diocese marks 500th anniversary of evangelization
 Brazilian cardinal warns against ‘moral lynchings and destructive criticism’ on social media
 Archbishop Chaput pays tribute to St. John Paul’s encyclical on faith and reason
 Prelate reflects on the Jordan Peterson phenomenon
 In Confession, penitents find forgiveness, not threats, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Resignations and appointments (2/27)

Released Tuesday, Feb. 27

 Bishop Barros gives testimony in Chilean investigation
 Several dead in new Congo protests led by Catholic activists
 Council of Cardinals weighs proposal for regional tribunals to hear abuse cases
 India: Videos show Hindu nationalists attacking Christians, burning Bibles
 Iranian Christian refugees denied asylum by US
 North Korea open to talks with United States, South Korea says
 4 works of Blessed Fra Angelico reunited for first time in over 200 years
 Catholic groups plan nonviolent civil disobedience in US Senate office building on behalf of Dreamers
 Over 40 should face trial for South Sudan atrocities, UN team says
 Ex-Trump aide Rick Gates pleads guilty in Russia probe
 Syria: At least 500 civilians have been killed during week of bombing raids
 12 Jesuit colleges: peaceful gun control protests won’t impact admission
 DR Congo: Catholic lay group decries repression of peaceful protestors
 Be merciful towards others to receive mercy from the Lord, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Supreme Court refuses to hear Trump challenge on DACA
 Harvard places Christian group on probation for barring student in same-sex relationship from leadership
 Resignations and appointments (2/26)
 Former papal secretary named nuncio to South Korea, Mongolia
 Papal audiences (2/26)
 ‘In hardships, remember the glory of Jesus,’ Pope preaches at Roman parish
 Papal telegram of condolences for victims of Peruvian road accident

Released Monday, Feb. 26

 Church of the Holy Sepulcher closed in protest over Jerusalem tax policy
 Asia Bibi’s family meets with Pontiff
 Council of Cardinals meeting this week
 Rare snowstorm closes down offices in Rome
 Thriving new women’s religious community in Burundi serves orphans, single mothers
 Prelates decry persecution of Christians as Colosseum bathed in red light
 Church in South Africa issues Lenten anti-racism guide
 Spanish religious sister named curial official
 Ukrainian Catholic leader calls for just wages for workers
 US bishops’ conference: call members of Congress on February 26 to advocate for Dreamers
 EU bishops’ commission holds meeting on the role of common free time
 Nigeria: Search stepped up for 110 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram
 UNICEF’s deputy executive director resigns over his past conduct toward women
 Latin-America’s worst-ever refugee crisis: Venezuelans
 Houthi militia kidnaps 200 officers, soldiers loyal to slain Yemeni ex-president Saleh
 Ghouta residents now face being burned out of their destroyed homes
 Cardinal Collins decries ‘heavy-handed, dictatorial approach’ of Canadian government
 Southern African bishops discuss young people, leadership issues
 Pope prays for and with victims of religious persecution
 Pope appeals for immediate cessation of violence in Syria
 Pope Francis: Angelus address on the Transfiguration of Christ
 Papal preacher’s 1st Lenten sermon: ‘Do not be conformed to this world’
 Leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina meet with Pope
 ‘Make the ineffable Beauty of God’s love perceptible,’ Pope tells group dedicated to artistic preservation
 Papal audiences (2/24)

Released Friday, Feb. 23

 Catholic bishops urge parishes not to cooperate with Texas Right to Life
 Cardinal Sarah sees decline in faith in the Eucharist
 German bishops approve Communion for non-Catholic spouses
 Pope, Curia leaders conclude Lenten Retreat
 Turkish government blocks election of new Armenian patriarch
 Undeground priest laments climate surrounding China-Vatican talks
 Lesbian couple files suit after Catholic Charities declines to place refugee foster children with them
 Cardinal Marx calls for dialogue with Eastern European bishops
 South Korean Catholics collect 1 million signatures in effort to keep abortion illegal
 Hindu attacks on Christians double in India
 Recent polls encourage Ireland’s pro-life advocates
 British court orders life support removed from toddler with rare brain disorder
 Hosts ‘miraculously’ preserved 16 months after devastating earthquake
 Archbishop of Canterbury sees ‘ecumenical spring’
 CAFOD devotes Lenten campaign to saving lives in Zimbabwe
 Pope Francis thanks Italy’s Anti-Usury Council
 Resignations and appointments (2/22)
 Pope, Curia hear call to ‘listen to the thirst of the periphery’
 UN warns of extraordinary humanitarian disaster in southeast Congo
 Vatican diplomat praises draft of global migration compact, offers suggestions for improvement
 Anger in Nigerian village as girls still missing after Boko Haram attack
 Message of Pope Francis for the 2018 World Youth Day
 Venezuela opposition alliance rejects ‘fraudulent’ elections
 ‘Hell on earth’: UN mulls Syria action as Eastern Ghouta deaths rise

Released Thursday, Feb. 22

 Bishop Paprocki bars Senator Durbin from Communion
 Congo bishop explains background of conflict with government
 Tajikistan imposes tighter controls on religion
 Togo’s bishops invite ‘entire population’ to Eucharistic adoration amid national political crisis
 Priest warns that Lebanon ‘can no longer pay the bills of other people’s wars’
 Leading Lithuanian prelate writes emigrants on 100th anniversary of nation’s independence
 Archbishop of Erbil: Christians in Iraq are ‘scourged, wounded, but still there’
 Bon Secours merging with Ohio’s Mercy Health
 China and religion: a snapshot
 DR Congo bishops issue statement on political crisis
 Prelate: spiritual reform of the Curia is ongoing
 Lenten retreat: Pope, Curia reflect on Jesus’ thirst, women’s tears
 Bulgaria mourns hermit famed for generosity
 Olympics are ‘favorable moment for encountering God,’ says head of Holy See delegation
 On eve of worldwide day of prayer, USCCB official examines crises in DRC, South Sudan
 Oxfam probing 26 new cases of sexual misconduct
 The Church wrestles with transhumanism
 Venezuela invites UN to monitor presidential election
 New report examines newborn mortality rates
 USCCB president offers condolences on the death of the Rev. Billy Graham
 Syria’s Ghouta residents ‘wait to die’ as more bombs fall

Released Wednesday, Feb. 21

 Rev. Billy Graham dead at 99
 Clergy file 2nd criminal complaint against Syro-Malabar prelate for real-estate deals
 Judge of Roman Rota sentenced for child pornography
 Archbishop Scicluna, papal investigator, hospitalized in Chile
 Egypt’s top Muslim university open to Coptic students, but Qu’ran requirement stays
 Leading French imam calls for radical reforms to end extremism, safeguard Eastern Christians
 Congo bishops denounce ‘bloody repression,’ propaganda campaign against Church
 Pakistan: Christian teen arrested for blasphemy on social media
 Archbishop Scicluna arrives in Chile to hear testimony in the Barros case
 English bishop joins call for change in immigration detention law
 Theme of Lenten retreat for Pope, Curia: recognizing our thirst for God
 Pope to young Romanians: no answers to hard questions
 New Anglican interfaith commission begins work with meeting in Cairo
 German bishops discuss translation of Lord’s Prayer
 Parents lose custody of teenage daughter who wants to “transition” to a boy
 Russian religious leaders lament attack on church
 New Ontario law allows for larger ‘safe zone’ for abortion providers
 Girls and teachers escape as Boko Haram gunmen attack Nigerian school
 Resignations and appointments (2/20)
 Theresa May hits out at ‘horrific’ behavior of Oxfam staff over scandal
 Trump backs effort to improve gun background checks
 After latest shooting, we should pray and be angry, Archbishop Chaput says
 Enclave bombarded by Syrian regime suffers deadliest day in 3 years

Released Tuesday, Feb. 20

 Cardinal Müller rejects idea of ‘paradigm shift’ in Catholic doctrine
 Diocese announces Cardinal Mahony will not appear at anniversary celebration
 Vatican accord with China by end of March?
 China expert fears accord would establish ‘national Church’
 Congo bishops decry ‘defamation campaign against Church’ as country prepares for election
 Nigeria: herdsmen continue rampage, kill 4 in Kaduna, 3 in Jos
 Boko Haram strikes again in northern Cameroon, killing pregnant woman and setting church on fire
 Merkel gives pivotal job to conservative Catholic, sparking succession talk
 Indonesian bishop forgives man who conducted attack on church
 EU bishops’ commission hosts panel discussion on the Church and farming
 German bishops’ development agency’s Lenten focus: responsible water use
 Baptists report increasing persecution of Christians in Nagaland
 Overcoming the sin of tribalism: a challenge for the Church of Africa
 Cowboy, engineer, saint: America magazine on the trail of St. José Brochero
 Pope’s homilies, addresses as Archbishop of Buenos Aires published
 Oxfam releases Haiti prostitution scandal details as American branch distances itself
 Nigeria’s Boko Haram crisis: Court frees 475 suspects
 14 killed in Mozambique dump collapse
 USCCB president, vice president, and migration chair announce national call-in day for Dreamers
 Netanyahu says Israel could act against Iran’s ‘empire’
 Chinese journalist argues Vatican sees deal with Beijing as “good for business”
 Vatican foundation considers Sahel aid
 Islamic State claims responsibility for Russia church shooting
 Appointments: Eastern Catholic Churches (2/19)
 Resignations and appointments (2/19)
 Pope, on First Sunday of Lent, reflects on temptation, conversion, and the Good News

Released Monday, Feb. 19

 Palestinian leader asks Vatican to lead conference on Jerusalem’s future
 Nigerian bishop, rejected by diocesan priests, announces resignation
 Pope-emeritus Benedict still writing, cardinal says
 Pope, Curia leaders begin Lenten Retreat
 Underground Catholic: We are excluded from dialogue between China and the Holy See
 Parish looted, hosts desecrated in Bangladesh
 Iranian Christian convert begins 3rd month of detention
 Catholic mother sentenced to week in jail for contempt of court after having child baptized
 Mysterious pool and fountain discovered at ancient Christian site in Israel
 Vatican ‘foreign minister’ praises tolerance, respect for religious communities in Azerbaijan
 Syriac Orthodox patriarch decries Turkish incursion
 Massive data gaps leave refugee, migrant and displaced children in danger
 Trump administration proposes ‘paradigm shift’ in federal education policies
 Prepare yourselves for total fidelity to Christ and His Church, Pope tells seminarians
 Pope names members of Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
 Resignations and appointments (2/17)
 Papal audiences (2/17)
 Resignations and appointments (2/16)
 Papal audiences (2/16)
 Pope Francis: prayer, fasting, almsgiving are remedies for our lack of charity
 Tillerson holds prolonged talks in Turkey trying to mend soured relationship
 Polish priest’s criticism of bishops, government sparks controversy
 Conscientious objection to abortion, euthanasia at risk, warns international Catholic doctors’ group

Released Friday, Feb. 16

 Pope meets with Maronite students
 New Korean ambassador to Holy See presents diplomatic credentials
 Bishops to hear voices of youth at pre-Synod meeting
 Chinese ‘underground’ bishop: we will accept Pope’s decision
 Guam court dismisses slander case against accused archbishop; libel case will continue
 Mexican diocese withdraws nuns from violence-riddled city
 New York: archdiocesan official blasts governor’s executive order on sexual orientation, gender identity
 French bishops strongly condemn Catholic youth movement’s pro-abortion statement
 Archbishop of Canterbury reexamines the state of the nation in new book
 Church, state commemorate 100th anniversary of Lithuania’s independence
 Compostela archbishop to lead act of reparation following blasphemous attack on Our Lady, St. James
 Praying for change in Congo: the Catholic Church takes on Kabila
 UN Commission on Women headed for deadlock over abortion, sex education
 Australian embassy commemorates 1st woman to hold Vatican leadership post
 Guatemalan bishops, in Lenten message, call for conversion in face of corruption, crime
 Dwindling number of Catholics in Kabul
 In India, Hindu nationalists use sacred animal to maintain power, demonize minorities
 Nigerian archbishop: In the face of ongoing Islamist attacks, the faith is growing
 Anglican, Lutheran leaders in US, Canada join to offer Lenten devotions
 2018 ecumenical Lenten campaign “Seven Weeks for Water” begins in Colombia
 USCCB, CRS: urge Congress to maintain international food security programs
 USCCB president’s reaction to shooting at Florida high school
 Morocco adopts law on violence against women
 Resignations and appointments (2/15)
 Maduro no longer welcome in Peru as Venezuela’s crisis deepens
 Myanmar still not safe for Rohingya to return: UN refugee chief

Released Thursday, Feb. 15

 Papal condolence after Florida shooting
 Pope issues new rules on retirement for bishops, Vatican officials
 Christian leaders oppose plan to tax church properties in Jerusalem
 Pope says he meets ‘regularly’ with abuse victims
 Vatican aides deny Benedict XVI has nerve disease
 Girl, Planned Parenthood sticker stay at Catholic school
 Catholic schools in India’s Manipur targeted by insurgents
 Still missing one year on, wife of abducted Malaysian pastor pleads for his release
 Church built to honor beheaded Copts, but families still waiting for bodies’ return
 Canadian court tells doctors they must refer for euthanasia
 Leading Russian Orthodox official criticizes Trump decision on Jerusalem
 Nigeria: Catholic teenager recounts Boko Haram attacks
 We must come together and resist evil, archbishop says following school shooting
 South African bishops welcome resignation of President Zuma
 World Meeting of Families invites couples to ‘share special tokens of love with a difference’
 Holy See welcomes “Zero Draft” for Global Compact for Migration
 Archbishop Gomez urges Senate to keep families at ‘heart of our immigration policy’
 Prelates praise budget provisions that ensure houses of worship can apply for disaster assistance
 Pause, see, and return, Pope preaches at Ash Wednesday Mass
 Venezuela loses right to vote at United Nations
 Elusive aid reaches Syria’s besieged Eastern Ghouta
 Congolese refugees risk lives to flee DRC’s Ituri province

Released Wednesday, Feb. 14

 Russian Orthodox, Catholic leaders assess gains since Pope met Patriarch
 Papal support for Brazilian bishops’ annual ‘fraternity campaign’
 US bishops’ leader urges faithful to observe Pope’s call for February 23 fast for peace
 Eastern churches need more support, representation in Rome, says Chaldean Patriarch
 Resignations and appointments
 Faithful have a right to good preaching, Pope tells audience
 Hong Kong Catholics organize prayer vigil to oppose Vatican-Beijing accord
 Australian court rebuffs Cardinal Pell’s lawyers in bid for access to accusers’ records
 Benedict XVI suffering from progressive nerve disease
 Film biography of Pope will open in May
 Church of England shows its enthusiasm for closer unity with Methodists
 Poor People’s Campaign revives Rev. Martin Luther King’s final cause
 Tillerson urges fractious anti-ISIS coalition to stay focused
 Church in China further squeezed by revised regulations
 Cardinal Tagle to lead walk against extrajudicial killing of drug suspects
 Cardinal Zenari urges world not to forget suffering in Syria
 South African bishops’ official analyzes nation’s political crisis
 Australian bishops declare 4 days of fasting, reparation for child sexual abuse
 UK official applauds Church leadership in combating human trafficking
 Oxfam prostitution scandal widens to at least 3 countries
 Former Warner Bros. exec leads Los Angeles archdiocese’s digital, marketing efforts
 Microplastics pollute most remote and uncharted areas of the ocean
 CWN editor discusses Bishop Barros controversy
 Fighting in Syria continues to worsen

Released Tuesday, Feb. 13

 Resignations and Appointments
 Pope, Melkite patriarch concelebrate Mass for Syria
 Turkey’s government restores 30 properties to Syriac Orthodox Church
 US bishops’ spokesmen criticize Trump budget priorities
 Cardinal Zen rips Vatican Secretary of State on talks with China
 Pope decries news coverage of crimes by immigrants
 Local bishop raps Notre Dame decision to fund contraception
 Knights of Malta gather in Rome to discuss reforms of their constitution
 Cardinal Cupich organizing theological seminars on Amoris Laetitia
 Vatican deal with China moves closer
 Sudan’s government demolishes Presbyterian church
 Jesuit urges Congress: prevent mass atrocities, promote religious freedom
 Apostolic vicar of Aleppo: ‘again it is hell here’
 Bishop declares nun’s recovery as 70th Lourdes miracle
 Church to be dedicated to Coptic martyrs, 3 years after they were beheaded
 Patience is not resignation or defeat, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Cardinal Dolan praises Trump administration for implementation of expanded Mexico City Policy
 Pope Francis: address root causes of human trafficking

Released Monday, Feb. 12

 Australian archdiocese to ‘slavery-proof’ its purchasing practices
 Lebanon: judge sentences Muslim vandals to read Qu’ran verses praising Virgin Mary
 Accused Guam archbishop met with Pope
 Florida Catholic-school teacher dismissed after same-sex marriage
 Pope opens registration for World Youth Day in Panama
 See Christ in the sick, Pope asks Sunday audience
 Avoid the market mentality, Pope advises Italian postal workers
 Cardinal Parolin praises Sant’Egidio community at 50th anniversary
 Tanzania’s bishops warn of ‘dictatorial drift’
 Cardina Cupich lauds Pope’s ‘revolutionary’ approach
 Hong Kong Catholic lay leaders plead for bishops to halt Vatican deal with Beijing
 Chinese ‘underground’ bishop ready to step down at Vatican request
 Vatican Museums planning second entrance
 Melkite Catholic leaders urged to encourage faithful to remain in Syria
 Pope thanks Bangladesh for accepting Rohingya refugees
 Resignations and Appointments (2/12)
 Papal audiences (2/10)
 Papal audiences (2/10)
 Resignations and Appointments (2/10)
 Pope meets with Stigmatines at general chapter
 Vatican’s ‘foreign minister’ meets with top officials in Azerbaijan
 New Mexico bishop questioned about failure to report complaints against priest
 Pittsburgh diocese offers Mass for victims of opioid epidemic

Released Friday, Feb. 9

 Hacker’s joke message exposes security flaw in Vatican web site
 Estonian prime minister meets with Pontiff
 Over 9 million pilgrims visited Fatima during centennial year
 English bishop: saving marriage more important than Brexit
 Islamic State moving into Somalia, prelate warns
 Former secretary relates how Benedict XVI pledged obedience to Pope Francis
 Cardinal Pell’s lawyers ask for accusers’ medical records
 Bermuda repeals same-sex marriage
 Roman Coliseum light display to call attention to persecution of Christians
 Background: World Day of the Sick
 Vatican communications reboot continues, despite some internal friction
 Fire at ‘Name of the Rose’ abbey
 Missionary sees synod as important moment for young Africans
 Vatican’s UN envoy encourages continued progress toward global migration compact
 Belarus archbishop denounces violations of Church’s rights
 Myanmar: Fresh evidence of ongoing ethnic cleansing as military starves, abducts and robs Rohingya
 Patriarchate: Russian religious communities carry out humanitarian action in Syria unprecedented in scale
 Italian nun discusses her efforts against human trafficking
 Marie Collins: Pope’s reputation on sex abuse ‘has gone from bad to worse’
 Cardinal Nichols: step up efforts to combat human trafficking
 Trump defends religious liberty at home and abroad at National Prayer Breakfast
 Pope, at weekday Mass, preaches on King Solomon’s corrupted heart
 State Department finds overwhelming acceptance of US abortion funding restrictions
 New data reveal 197 land and environmental defenders murdered in 2017
 Kim Jong Un watches parade of North Korean tanks, missiles, and 13,000 troops
 Vatican newspaper deplores modern-day slavery
 US-backed coalition in Syria strikes pro-Assad forces

Released Thursday, Feb. 8

 New York Court continues legal battle over burial place for Archbishop Sheen
 Cardinal Marx did not endorse ceremonies for same-sex couples: German bishops’ conference
 Kenya bishops denounce media blackout as unconstitutional
 EU bishops’ commission calls for democratic transition in DR Congo
 Iceland: bishop speaks out against proposed anti-circumcision law
 European bishops discuss relations with Muslims
 Cardinal Erdo: Democracy’s foundations are ‘shaking’
 ‘Be fully Indian, fully Christian’ – Cardinal Oswald Gracias
 Head of women’s office in new Vatican dicastery discusses her responsibilities, women’s role in Church
 Mexico City welcomes new archbishop
 Catholic college strips honorary degree from disgraced Long Wharf director
 New tax law seen as strong benefit to Catholic schools, parents
 Pope appeals for concerted efforts against human trafficking
 Report on human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK
 Resignations and appointments (2/7)
 Vatican newspaper laments continued rise of sex tourism involving minors
 Syriac Christians hold 1st liturgy in years in ravaged Deir ez-Zor church
 Bombs land near Syriac Orthodox cathedral in Damascus; 2 dead
 Strong earthquake strikes Taiwan

Released Wednesday, Feb. 7

 Vatican court finds two former Vatican bank officials guilty of mismanagement
 Benedict XVI says he is now making a ‘pilgrimage home’
 Pope voices hope that Olympics will bring peace to Korea
 Papal sympathy for Taiwan earthquake victims
 Limit homilies to 10 minutes, Pope urges priests
 Archbishop Chaput opposes German calls for blessing homosexual unions
 German cardinal opposes Cardinal Marx on blessing same-sex unions
 Anti-Christian crime causes increasing concern in Germany
 Report: 75 killed in renewed Fulani attacks on Christian community in Nigeria
 Mosul, Iraq: ‘I cannot believe my eyes when I see what ISIS has done to my church’
 European Court of Human Rights: Lithuania not permitted to impose fine for blasphemous ads
 International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking to be observed February 8
 Bishops’ conference official laments inferior status of women in India
 In the sky this week
 Cardinal Collins criticizes religious-liberty infringement in Canada Summer Jobs program
 2 priests brutally murdered in Mexico
 Cardinal Marx expresses deep concern about criminalization of circumcision
 As Winter Olympics draw near, South Korean bishop maintains hope for peace with North Korea
 South Africa’s bishops call for calm amid political uncertainties
 Pope invites members of other religions to join in day of prayer and fasting for peace
 Resignations and appointments (2/6)
 Post editorial writer asks: How many botched cases would it take to end euthanasia of the vulnerable?
 Interview: Jim Caviezel goes back to the Bible in ‘Paul, Apostle of Christ’
 Planets in galaxies beyond Milky Way spotted for first time
 More Catholic schools are looking to minimize screen time
 More than 200 million girls and women have undergone genital mutilation
 Science is giving the pro-life movement a boost
 UN says Rohingya crisis could spark regional conflict

Released Tuesday, Feb. 6

 Vatican official: China is best example of social justice
 Cardinal Zen renews criticism of Vatican negotiators on proposed China pact
 New member of leadership team for Neocatechumenal Way
 Miracle approved, canonization looms for Pope Paul VI
 Boston’s Cardinal O’Malley pays off Super Bowl wager to Philadelphia’s Archbishop Chaput
 Chinese Communist Party paper: ties with Vatican coming soon
 Pope’s message for Lent: beware false prophets, cold hearts
 ‘Smiles and speeches’: Malta’s bishops slam politicians’ failure to end migrant drownings
 A record-breaking January for pilgrimages in the Holy Land
 India’s bishops focus on nationalism, poverty and Dalits as nation’s greatest challenges
 In Bangladesh, many tribal people wish to be baptized, says Polish missionary
 Pope declines renewed invitation to visit Argentina
 Clergy gather to bless one of the only US clinics performing late-term abortions
 Anglican synod to consider communion with Methodists
 Portugal’s Catholic doctors speak out against euthanasia bill
 UK government minister, at Vatican, calls for dialogue and respect to combat religious intolerance
 Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network continues process of ‘re-creation’
 2017 Ash Wednesday collection provided $9.1M in funding to Church in former Communist nations
 Archbishop Chaput: Memory, sex, and the making of “the new man”
 +Germain Grisez, 88
 Pope, at weekday Mass, preaches on importance of adoration
 Chaldean Catholic patriarch speaks out against violence committed in the name of religion
 We must make good use of beauty as way to access faith, says prelate
 Resignations and appointments (2/5)
 Papal audiences (2/5)
 Parishes should welcome women who feel unheard, Catholic leaders say in response to survey
 North Korea to send nominal head of state to South during Olympics
 Syria airstrikes hit hospitals in rebel territory

Released Monday, Feb. 5

 Dublin’s Archbishop Martin: not consulted on Vatican decision to bar former Irish president
 Priests in India face charges after clash with Hindu militants
 Turkey’s President Erdogan meets Pope, encounters protests in Rome
 Pope was informed of Chilean abuse victims’ complaints, AP reveals
 Cardinal Marx: Church should offer blessings for same-sex couples
 Journalist lists Chinese Catholic bishops, with Vatican and/or government recognition
 Italy: gunman targets black foreigners in drive-by shooting
 Pentagon announces plan to expand nuclear arsenal in face of Russian threat
 Trump calls leaders of Japan, South Korea about North Korea
 Italian soldier who opposed fascism beatified
 Italy’s Pro-Life Day: Pope thanks participants
 Pope reflects on Jesus’ manner of preaching
 Pope declares Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on February 23
 Massachusetts Catholic college will keep the name “Crusaders” despite concerns that it was offensive
 Pope Francis decries usury and its effects

Released Sunday, Feb. 4

 Resignations and appointments (2/3)
 Papal audiences (2/3)
 Encounter the poor, chaste, and obedient Jesus, Pope preaches at Mass for religious
 Resignations and appointments (2/2)
 Papal audiences (2/2)
 Scores of migrants feared dead after boat capsizes off Libya
 AP finds evidence for graves, Rohingya massacre in Myanmar
 Chile indefinitely suspends its participation in dialogue between Venezuela’s regime, opposition

Released Friday, Feb. 2

 Episcopal diocese plans to remove masculine pronouns referring to God
 Vatican delegation to attend Olympic Committee meetings in Pyeongchang
 Pope will visit Italian dioceses in April, May, Vatican announces
 Former Irish president McAleese barred from speaking at Vatican conference
 Violence discredits religion, Pope says
 Vatican close to accord with China, recognizing government-appointed bishops?
 Death sentence in Yemen for Baha’i prisoner of conscience
 Philippine bill would recognize Catholic annulments
 Priest-journalist analyzes clashes in Kenya
 El Salvador’s bishops seek support for migrants, ‘deeply offended’ by President Trump’s remarks
 Sant’Egidio Community opens school for Rohingya refugee children
 Critics admit pro-life Mexico City Policy is effective
 Vatican prefect on World Day for Consecrated Life: ‘The present human history is in need of a vocational meaning in life’
 Pope Francis, in weekday Mass homily, reflects on death
 Background: World Day for Consecrated Life
 Pope’s prayer intention for February: say “no” to corruption
 Recent lawsuit: Sam’s Club discriminated against transgender worker
 8-year-old beaten in latest anti-Semitic attack on children in France
 Polish lawmakers back Holocaust bill, drawing Israeli outrage, US concern
 Petrol bomb thrown at Aung San Suu Kyi’s home, Myanmar government says
 Resignations and appointments (2/1)
 Papal audiences (2/1)
 Venezuela government-opposition talks ‘advance,’ no deal yet
 Refugees reveal the reality of living in destitution
 In new EU sea mission, ships not obliged to bring migrants to Italy
 Who is Madeleine Delbrêl—the “French Dorothy Day” Pope Francis made venerable this weekend?
 UN Security Council renews Central African Republic arms embargo, threatens more sanctions
 EU to US: ‘You can’t solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict alone’

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