Stories for March 2018

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Saturday, Mar. 31

 Pope Francis: Homily at the Easter Vigil Mass
 Italy’s interior minister calls for heightened Easter security amid anti-terrorism arrests

Released Friday, Mar. 30

 Via Crucis at the Colosseum: full text of meditations; Pope prays with ‘shame, repentance, hope’
 Good Friday at St. Peter’s Basilica: papal preacher calls on youth to go against stream, encounter Christ
 10 Roman priests have lunch with Pope
 Russian defense minister, UN envoy discuss embattled Damascus suburb
 Parisians march to protest murder of 85-year-old Holocaust survivor
 North, South Korea agree to hold summit
 Vatican denies report of ‘imminent’ agreement with China
 Pope celebrates Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Roman prison, denounces death penalty
 Resignations and appointments (3/29)
 Pope, at Chrism Mass, urges priests to imitate Jesus’ closeness to people

Released Thursday, Mar. 29

 Canadian bishops: Pope will not apologize for ‘residential schools’
 Did Pope say there is no hell?
 Catholic legislator offers bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland
 Irish government proposal would allow abortion on demand: analysis
 Papal best wishes for Rome’s Jewish community at Passover
 French bishops praise heroism of slain gendarme Arnaud Beltrame
 Pope makes child cancer survivor’s wish come true with kiss, ride in popemobile
 Canadian religious leaders decry government’s intransigence on pro-abortion test for jobs program
 China and North Korea hail close friendship after Kim visit confirmed
 Yemen’s people struggle to find bare essentials 3 years on from first Saudi airstrikes
 Children fleeing unrest and hunger in Venezuela face human trafficking in Colombia
 Leading US bishops recall 50th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King’s assassination
 Resignations and appointments (3/28)

Released Wednesday, Mar. 28

 Irish leader: Church should include ‘all types of family’ at Dublin meeting
 30,000 Americans to enter Church at Easter Vigil
 Australian police began Pell investigation before any crime was reported
 Jailed Chinese bishop set free, but barred from celebrating Chrism Mass
 Easter in Jerusalem: No access for Gaza’s Christians
 Pope Francis visits Pope Benedict
 Pope devotes general audience to Paschal Triduum, warns against corrupt life
 Laity keep the faith alive in the most remote parish on earth
 Cardinal Müller: Is there a saving truth?
 US, EU expel more than 100 Russian diplomats over Skripal case
 A new president may not mean a totally fresh start for South Africa, Jesuit says
 Thousands more leave Syria’s Ghouta, rebels await Russian decision
 Macron condemns anti-Semitism following horrific murder of Holocaust survivor in Paris
 Kim Jong Un made a surprise China visit, sources say
 Vatican newspaper: Pope Francis continues Paul VI’s path of Curial reform
 Resignations and appointments (3/27)

Released Tuesday, Mar. 27

 Syrian refugees arriving in Rome via ‘humanitarian corridor’ arranged by St. Egidio community
 2 million join in pro-life march in Argentina
 Vatican liturgical office: feast of Mary, the Mother of the Church to be observed this year
 Indonesian high court rejects Christian governor’s appeal of blasphemy conviction
 US bishops’ spokesman decries low rate of admission for refugees
 Holy Cross College students call attention to theology professor’s views on ‘drag king’ Jesus
 Chinese authorities seize ‘underground’ bishop
 Church in Italy recalls missionary martyrs
 Muslim, Christian leaders pray for peace, interreligious harmony in Pakistan
 UN must intervene in Congo, says bishops’ conference official
 Somalia: Al Shabaab claims deadly blast outside hotel in Mogadishu
 Boko Haram strikes 5 in Niger
 US strikes Qaeda target in southern Libya, expanding shadow war there
 At funeral Mass, bishop honors French officer whose sacrifice saved hostage
 Remove stones of hatred, injustice, ethnic conflict, Myanmar cardinal says in Easter message
 US contributes to stalemate on abortion at UN, despite leakers on delegation
 Swedish diocese purchases church from Protestants as number of Catholics grows
 Vatican congregation publishes reference work on Eastern Catholic Churches
 Primate of All Ireland: Church ‘can never become complacent’ about safeguarding children
 Jesuit criticizes media coverage of Katy Perry, Immaculate Heart of Mary sisters
 Vatican foreign minister: Church in China should be ‘fully Catholic and genuinely Chinese’
 Resignations and appointments (3/26)
 Papal condolences following fire at Russian shopping center
 Glastonbury: archaeology is revealing new truths about the origins of British Christianity
 Wave of protests in Catalonia following arrest of Puigdemont in Germany
 Papal audiences (3/26)
 Pope Francis, other prelates laud witness of Arnaud Beltrame

Released Monday, Mar. 26

 Veteran Rome correspondent laments death of Vatican Radio
 Ukrainian monks disciplined; had broken discipline to follow local ‘seer’
 Papal condolences to terrorist victims in Carcassone, France
 Pope offers thanks to Vatican security staff
 Pope accepts resignation of Irish bishop who delayed reporting abuse
 Central African Republic: priest dies of injuries after assault on parish
 Report: Pope says he wishes to visit South Sudan
 French bishops decry new Islamist terrorist attack as ‘unacceptable and inadmissible’
 Saudi Arabia says it is revamping education to combat ‘extremist ideologies’
 In India, police leave Catholic hospital separated from power supply following attack
 ‘We need a visit from the Pope,’ Iraqi bishop says in interview
 ‘May Mary help us all to live Holy Week well,’ Pope says at Angelus address
 Meditations by young people for Pope’s Via Crucis released
 The joy of the Gospel disturbs the self-righteous, Pope preaches at Palm Sunday Mass
 Pope pays tribute to Italian province’s ‘faith, laboriousness, and solidarity’
 Pre-synod meeting’s final document highlights young people’s diverse attitudes toward Christ and the Church
 Resignations and appointments (3/24)
 Papal audiences (3/24)
 Papal preacher devotes final Lenten sermon to Christian purity
 Resignations and appointments (3/23)
 Papal audiences (3/23)

Released Friday, Mar. 23

 Turkish air raids destroy ancient Christian sites in Syria
 Another meeting—in Belarus—for Pope and Russian Patriarch?
 Cardinal Dolan: Democrats have abandoned Catholics
 Police raid home, office of Michigan bishop in sex-abuse probe
 Some charges against Cardinal Pell will be dropped
 Papal Foundation re-evaluating its role, relationship with Holy See
 Vatican accord with China imminent?
 Cardinal Tong supports deal with China, sees opposition as unreasonable
 Providence bishop sees Catholic college ‘at the crossroads,’ lauds student who upheld marriage
 Algeria closes 4th church in 4 months
 Peru’s president offers resignation over vote-buying scandal
 Mark Zuckerberg has regrets over Cambridge Analytica data: ‘I’m really sorry that this happened’
 Strike near school in Syria’s Idlib kills 16 children
 Prelates lament failure of Congress to pass Conscience Protection Act
 In Democratic Republic of Congo, Catholic laity rally the nation for political change
 Vatican diplomat: Holy See opposes patents on life forms
 Recently appointed cardinals tell their stories in new book
 The Church’s future is in your hands, Vatican cardinal tells mission seminary professors
 Caritas assists Mongolia’s herdsmen as animals freeze, starve
 Sydney archdiocese steps up efforts to combat human trafficking
 UN panel condemns ‘prenatal genocide’ of children with Down Syndrome
 US delegation to UN conference faces intimidation campaign
 In Confession, we receive God’s loving embrace, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Papal audiences (3/22)

Released Thursday, Mar. 22

 Paraguay: bishops quit involvement in state charity after reports of mismanagement
 Author of ‘Dictator Pope’ suspended from Knights of Malta
 New papal document, on holiness, due after Easter
 China: religious affairs now come directly under Communist Party control
 Vatican ‘foreign secretary’ foresees cooperative relations with China
 Irish bishops ‘warmly welcome’ announcement of August papal visit
 Uttarakhand poised to pass anti-conversion bill
 UN failing Eritrea’s detained Christians, says watchdog group
 Oregon Supreme Court suspends judge who refused to conduct same-sex weddings
 At least 30 killed in Kabul suicide attack at Shiite shrine
 Fierce fighting causes massive new displacement of Syrian civilians
 TV personality publicly apologizes for calling Vice President Pence’s Christianity a ‘mental illness’
 Users abandon Facebook after Cambridge Analytica findings
 Some US Catholic sisters plan participation in anti-gun violence march
 EU bishops’ commission welcomes proposed European Labor Authority
 Youth leader of Latin Mass organization attends pre-synod meeting, praises Pope’s emphasis on ‘roots’
 Venezuela’s bishops denounce Maduro regime
 Refugee nuns serve fellow refugees in Uganda
 1st Baniwa priest ordained for Brazilian diocese
 ‘Elimination’ of Down syndrome is a ‘great hate crime,’ says Holy See conference at the UN
 Vatican releases Pope’s schedule for Holy Week
 Holy See says proposed Global Compact for Migration must put person at the center
 Pope appoints administrator for troubled Brazilian diocese

Released Wednesday, Mar. 21

 Study shows growing indifference to religion among millennials in Europe
 Brazilian bishop, priests accused of stealing $600,000 from church
 83 mental patient among 6,000 Dutch euthanized last year
 At general audience, Pope speaks on Communion
 Pope confirms plan to visit Ireland for World Meeting of Families
 Vatican communications chief resigns after scandal over doctored letter
 Russian Orthodox patriarch congratulates Putin on reelection
 Former French president Sarkozy in police custody over Gaddafi allegations
 200,000 civilians flee as Turkey captures Syrian Kurdish city
 Facebook’s chief security officer said to resign amid Cambridge Analytica scandal
 Cardinal issues statement supporting pro-life pregnancy centers as important free speech case begins
 Cardinal meets with India’s PM, calls for action against attacks on non-Hindus
 Beijing vicar general: ‘Chinese people are happy to see the development of China-Vatican relations’
 Australian hierarchy to hold its 1st plenary council since 1937
 Texas bishops call for prayer, vigilance amid serial bombings
 Caritas devotes Easter message to migrants
 ‘Looking at the Crucifix heals our poisoned hearts,’ Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Supreme Court hears oral arguments in California crisis pregnancy center case
 In new book, Pope Francis reflects on young people
 Restriction on summer jobs funding not the 1st time religious rights in Canada have been trampled on
 Pope to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass in Roman prison
 Pope offers condolences following death of Cardinal Keith O’Brien

Released Tuesday, Mar. 20

 Priest testifies it was ‘impossible’ for Cardinal Pell to be alone with altar boys as charged
 Vatican contribution to Venice architectural exhibit: 10 chapels in the woods
 Protestant church faces government harassment in Kazakhstan
 Nigeria: unexploded air force bombs found in shelled Christian village
 Congressman criticizes China for violating religious freedom in Tibet
 Mississippi governor signs bill banning abortions after 15 weeks
 1st Mideast monument to Pope Francis dedicated in Lebanon
 Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for priests
 India: bishops condemn attack on Catholic hospital
 Leading Vatican diplomat decries ‘ideological colonization’ of Africa
 Studies link religious practice with lower marijuana use
 Anglican leader, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince discuss religious freedom
 David Wyman, scholar of America’s Holocaust response, dies at 89
 Scottish bishops offer condolences to Cardinal O’Brien’s family and friends
 English bishops announce day of prayer for survivors of sexual abuse
 Ukrainian Catholic bishops in US issue Easter pastoral letter
 Leading Russian Orthodox official discusses his vote in presidential election
 Pope discusses conditions for proper discernment in address to priests, seminarians
 Europe’s bishops protest Jerusalem’s proposal to tax religious buildings
 Pope ordains 3 bishops, says ‘prayer is a bishop’s first task’
 Resignations and appointments (3/19)
 Pope responds to young people’s questions at pre-synodal meeting

Released Monday, Mar. 19

 Muslims displacing Christians on Iraq’s Nineveh Plains
 Pastor of St. John Cantius removed after allegations of misconduct
 Pope reportedly declines resignation of Cardinal Maradiaga
 Catholic college senior under fire for defending marriage
 City of Philadelphia drops archdiocesan foster-care program
 Abortion advocates will not accept ‘No’ vote in Irish referendum, government minister says
 Former Cardinal Keith O’Brien dies after fall
 Bishops’ conference official speaks of challenge of Protestantism, Islam in Congo Republic
 Nicaraguan prelate criticizes government censorship of social media
 Pope expresses love for his native Argentina, asks forgiveness for faults
 Gaze upon the crucifix, enter into Jesus’ wounds, Pope says during Angelus address
 Russia to expel 23 British diplomats, close consulate in escalating row over poisoned ex-spy
 Airstrikes hit Syrian enclave where many are fleeing, activists say
 Honoring Padre Pio’s relics, Pope preaches on prayer, smallness, wisdom
 Padre Pio, when tormented by devil, abandoned himself to Jesus, Pope says in saint’s hometown
 Resignations and appointments (3/17)
 Marielle Franco: Brazil’s favelas mourn the death of a champion
 Venezuelan opposition groups protest election, demand new vote
 Thousands of women, men, children raped in Syria’s war: UN report
 Pope, UN official discuss plight of Palestinian refugees
 Pope, in meeting with Muslim leader, says there is no link between Islam and terrorism
 Papal audiences (3/16)

Released Friday, Mar. 16

 Cardinal Zen: deal with China would strip Catholics of freedom
 Copts: not endorsing candidates in Egypt’s elections
 Catholic leaders mobilize against divorce initiative in Philippines
 US adult Catholic population slipping, study shows
 Government encroachment creates ‘state of emergency’ in Bolivian Catholic schools
 Religious adoption agencies facing pressure on treatment of same-sex couples
 Heavy turnover testifies to old troubles at Vatican bank
 Vatican tribunal finds Guam archbishop guilty of sexual abuse
 Papal preacher devotes 4th Lenten sermon to obedience
 US bishops urge support for First Amendment Defense Act
 Report: Turkey seeks life prison term for US pastor
 Latin America’s bishops issue pastoral letter on ecology
 Catholic, Anglican prelates to gather to honor St. Patrick
 Poland’s bishops discuss Amoris Laetitia, abortion, anti-Semitism
 India: Catholic scholars concerned by ruling party’s push to rewrite history textbooks
 Sudan: Caritas, other Christian agencies address cholera emergency in Darfur
 Following controversial election, Kenya’s bishops welcome surprise meeting between opponents
 Cardinal Baldisseri discusses agenda of youth pre-synod meeting
 At UN meeting on empowering rural women, Holy See diplomat chides critics of motherhood
 In Damascus, rebel bombardments have Christians fear for their lives
 Archbishop Chaput’s statement on Pope’s 5th anniversary in Petrine ministry
 Pakistan’s bishops meet with Pope
 Director Wim Wenders says he was given ‘carte blanche’ in new documentary on Pope Francis
 DR Congo: Caritas providing aid and breaking the silence on Kasai region crisis
 Cardinal Pell’s alleged victims end testimony in Australian court
 Prayer requires courage and patience, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Resignations and appointments (3/15)
 Papal audiences (3/15)

Released Thursday, Mar. 15

 US attitudes on moral issues more liberal than global average: poll
 Pope troubled by criticism on doctrinal orthodoxy, Vatican official says
 National School Walkout was time of prayer for many Catholic schools
 Cardinal Marx congratulates Merkel on reelection as chancellor
 Canadian bishops’ conference president writes Pope Francis for 5th anniversary of his pontificate
 Myanmar rejects UN findings: ‘no ethnic cleansing or genocide in our country’
 Who is Mike Pompeo, Trump’s pick to be the next secretary of state?
 Russia says over 300 People have left Syria’s Eastern Ghouta
 Full text, video of Pope’s Wednesday general audience
 +Stephen Hawking, 76, longtime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
 San Diego bishop rips border wall
 Cardinal DiNardo, other Christian leaders lament Israel’s plan to tax Church property
 In Vermont, the latest clash between public money and the Catholic Church
 Amid strong Church opposition, Philippine government pushes to legalize divorce by Easter
 Missionary discusses bishops’ efforts to ensure smooth political transition in Liberia
 Nuncio: Egyptians support Sisi, dislike Muslim Brotherhood
 Vatican’s Secretary of State praises work of Focolare’s founder
 US Catholics more concerned about climate change than persecuted Christians
 Amazon’s ecology crucial to mankind’s future, member of pre-synod council emphasizes
 Vatican official, Taoist leader agree to 7 common goals
 Prominent Vatican officials pay tribute to new book on St. Francis of Assisi
 Papal audiences (3/14)

Released Wednesday, Mar. 14

 Vatican doctored photo of letter by Pope-emeritus Benedict
 Father of Cardinal Pell’s accuser was not aware of abuse
 Irish government official plans to address Catholic ‘misogyny’ during visit to Rome
 Peoria diocese opposes National School Walkout Day
 Montana diocese moves to withdraw bankruptcy filing
 At audience, Pope speaks on liturgy, preparation for Communion
 India: Catholic hospital attacked by Hindu zealots
 Minnesota archbishop backs lay activism in public life
 Chaldean Catholic patriarch nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
 Turkish prosecutors lodge new indictment against American Protestant pastor
 Leading US bishops offer Pope congratulations, ‘filial affection’
 Italian bishops express ‘deep gratitude’ to Pope Francis on his 5th anniversary
 Pakistani court rules that applicants for government jobs must declare their religion
 True reform entails ‘missionary transformation of Church,’ Vatican cardinal says
 Church and aid groups appeal for an end to Syrian conflict
 Nigerian diocese’s administrator calls for reconciliation, sees ‘new springtime’
 Arab bishops praise Pope for ‘strong attention’ to Middle East
 Oscar-nominated director, Vatican collaborate on documentary on Pope Francis
 Twitter keeps censoring pro-lifers
 Rex Tillerson is out as Secretary of State; Donald Trump taps Mike Pompeo
 Cardinal Parolin: joy, mercy, and evangelization are the major themes of this pontificate
 Environmental activist murdered in Brazil
 Society of Catholic Scientists grows to 600 members
 China’s top diplomat says positive changes emerge on Korean Peninsula
 Cardinal Zen contrasts Pope Benedict, Pope Francis on Vatican’s China policy
 UN Secretary-General urges international community not to give up on Syria
 Papal audiences (3/13)

Released Tuesday, Mar. 13

 Full text of letter from Pope-emeritus
 Government-appointed bishops participated in Chinese party congress
 Irish pro-life campaigners upbeat after massive rally
 England’s top Catholic prelate warns against gender ideology
 Atlanta’s Archbishop Gregory: why make public agencies immune from sex-abuse lawsuits?
 Archbishop Paglia supports British judge’s decision against ‘overzealous treatment’
 Dublin’s archbishop: open to feminist complaints by former President McAleese
 Former Irish prime minister urges vote to retain pro-life constitutional measure
 A Catholic bishop and his rural Chinese parish worry about a deal between Beijing and the Vatican
 Controversial LGBT event drops ‘Catholic’ label after archbishop’s statement
 Spain extends citizenship law for Sephardic Jews
 Calling abortion health care ‘defies logic,’ says Ohio bishop
 Australian diplomat hails Pope as ‘perhaps the greatest anti-slavery campaigner’
 Merkel pays tribute to Cardinal Lehmann
 Vatican publishing house releases book series on theology of Pope Francis
 Attacked by Muslim mob, Coptic woman is still living a nightmare
 Cardinal Wuerl: defend religious freedom of Catholic healthcare workers
 Take risks instead of being a ‘parked,’ ‘caged’ Christian, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Vatican sources offer mixed assessments of Pope’s financial reforms
 Serve the common good, Pope tells French lawmakers
 Pope to ordain 3 bishops on feast of St. Joseph
 Resignations and appointments (3/12)
 Notre Dame hosts pre-Synod conference on the Church and youth
 Rev. Martin Luther King’s daughter says audience with Pope was ‘life changing’
 Papal audiences (3/12)
 Indian cardinal says reform of Curia is nearly complete
 Pope’s telegram of condolences following death of Cardinal Lehmann
 Xi cleared to rule indefinitely as China officially scraps term limits
 ‘Unsafe even to bury the dead’ in besieged Syrian enclave

Released Monday, Mar. 12

 Pope-emeritus Benedict sees continuity with teaching of Pope Francis
 Vatican cardinal boosts annual Good Friday collection for Church in Holy Land
 Colombian elections produce victory for opponents of peace accord
 Chinese delegation joins Vatican conference on organ trafficking
 Tribunal postpones court appearance of former Vatican bank president
 Chilean Cardinal Errazuriz regrets media focus on accused bishop during papal visit
 Polish stores close on Sunday as new law takes effect
 Elderly nun collapses, dies during court hearing on Katy Perry case
 Asia-Pacific nations sign sweeping trade deal without US
 Syria: 13 trucks of aid to go into eastern Ghouta
 Trump accepts invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
 Salvation of souls is Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith’s primary purpose, new prefect says
 +Cardinal Karl Lehmann, 81
 Papal greeting to Vatican ‘hackathon’ participants
 Rejoice in God’s love, Pope says in Laetare Sunday Angelus address
 Pope commemorates Sant’Egidio Community’s 50th anniversary, links love for Bible with service to poor
 Persevere in prayer to promote culture mercy, Pope tells members of Swiss association
 Resignations and appointments (3/11)
 Papal audiences (3/10)
 Pope Francis leads penitential service in St. Peter’s Basilica
 Resignations and appointments (3/9)
 Papal audiences (3/9)
 Papal preacher devotes 3rd Lenten sermon to Christian humility

Released Friday, Mar. 9

 Confessors should help young people discern vocations, Pope says
 Nigerian cardinal advises West: worry about empty churches, not divorced/remarried
 Feminists vandalize Madrid churches on International Women’s Day
 Prelates open to married clergy among Pope’s choices for Synod council
 Pope to visit Baltic nations in September
 Women’s rights activist murdered in Mexico
 62 civilians killed in raids on Ghouta
 Week of March 8-14 honors Catholic women religious
 UN seeks inquiry into killings in Venezuela, says upcoming election not credible
 On international Women’s Day, Vatican diplomat emphasizes human rights, dignity, and equality
 Luxembourg archbishop succeeds Cardinal Marx as COMECE president
 Vatican official discusses significance of ‘hackathon’
 Pope Francis writes preface to new edition of ‘Complaining Not Allowed’
 Vatican Museums release book on ethics of conservation
 GAO report: taxpayers gave abortion providers $1.5 billion in recent years
 Schedule announced for papal visit to honor Padre Pio
 Be witnesses of God’s calling, Pope tells rectors of German-language seminaries
 UNESCO pushes controversial sex-ed rejected by UN General Assembly
 Pope encourages International Catholic Migration Commission in its work
 Human rights groups thank US State Department for changing focus of report
 Roman high school students to prepare meditations for Via Crucis at Colosseum
 Theme announced for 2019 synod
 Resignations and appointments (3/8)
 Papal audiences (3/8)

Released Thursday, Mar. 8

 Pope donates 100,000 euros towards first Orthodox monastery in Austria
 +Father Angelico Surchamp, OSB, 94
 Retired priests recount joys, struggles of missionary work in northern India
 Pope invites faithful to go to Confession, experience God’s mercy in ’24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative
 Pope sends greetings to Paralympic Committee and athletes
 Irish Supreme Court: unborn children do not have inherent constitutional rights outside right to life
 Australian sister recognized for work with indigenous women
 Catholic men’s movements are on the rise
 Pope Francis: ‘Even the fleeting life of the least of beings is the object of God’s love’
 Catholic priest, Anglican minister recount horrors of Sri Lanka’s civil war
 Syrian Trappist nuns strongly criticize Western media coverage of Ghouta attacks
 Bishop asks Nigerian government to work for rescue of kidnapped girls
 Prelates urge faithful to pray, advocate for passage of Conscience Protection Act
 Ethiopian cardinal pleads for end of political unrest
 UN envoy says ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Rohingya still occurring in Myanmar’s Rakhine
 Ghouta aid convoy postponed amid chemical attack fears
 North Korea offers talks with United States on curbing nuclear program
 Resignations and appointments (3/7)
 Papal audiences (3/7)

Released Wednesday, Mar. 7

 Indian police investigating real-estate deals by Syro-Malabar cardinal
 Vietnamese archbishop dies suddenly in Rome
 Cardinal Brandmüller raps German bishops’ policy on Communion for Protestant spouses
 New federal agency protecting conscience rights has handled 300 cases in first month
 Irish government official: Church meeting for families should include same-sex couples
 Only half of US children live with married parents
 Miracle approved; Archbishop Romero will be canonized
 Pope speaks on Eucharistic Prayer at general audience
 Papal message of sympathy for earthquake victims in Papua New Guinea
 Papal encouragement for Conventual Franciscan ministry in Burkina Faso
 New violence and harassment against Christians in Orissa
 Jesuit assesses conflict in Central African Republic
 Christians protest abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan
 Report examines anti-religious discrimination in education in Pakistan, other nations
 Georgetown University honors Senator Durbin
 God forgives only if we forgive others, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Pope recalls nuns’ witness to charity in preface to new book
 Euthanasia performed on Canadian prisoner
 Vatican hosts conference on Confession
 Vatican hosts ‘hackathon’
 New publication from Vatican congregation considers religious orders’ finances
 Former Anglican leader joins Richard Dawkins in opposing expansion of Catholic schools in England
 Indonesian Christians whipped over sharia-banned child’s play
 Florida House declares pornography a public health risk
 Holy Land’s Franciscan friars undertake annual Lenten pilgrimage to Passion sites
 Mosul archbishop commemorates 10th anniversary of predecessor’s slaying
 8 people held in Belgium after anti-terror raids
 Renzi resigns as party leader after Italian election blow
 Swiss vote against plan to scrap compulsory TV license fee
 Convoy carrying food and medical supplies reaches Syria’s rebel-held Ghouta

Released Tuesday, Mar. 6

 Colorado bishops back Mennonite in death-penalty case
 Pope’s popularity steady in US, despite growing skepticism, poll shows
 Nigerian prelate will not bring charges after skirmish with governor’s supporters
 Japanese bishops: imperial ceremonies should recognize church-state separation
 Saudi crown prince makes unprecedented visit to Coptic cathedral
 Canonization of Bl. Paul VI set for October
 Cardinal Parolin encourages International Catholic Commission for Migration
 Brazilian court overturns lower court decison against blasphemous play
 UN official documents repression of religion in Uzbekistan
 Report: 700 churches closed in Rwanda
 Death of Chinese human rights lawyer raises suspicions
 Ecuador’s bishops denounce corruption
 Chaldean patriarch, other Iraqi religious leaders speak out against fanaticism
 Brazilian bishop ministers to refugees who are fleeing Venezuala
 America’s newest cathedral dedicated
 Bookkeeper found guilty of defrauding Catholic mission of $1.1M
 Bishops of Washington State call for veto of abortion insurance mandate
 New Mexico GOP wants reprimand of Catholic official following comments on early ed proposal
 Cardinal Pell faces accusers via video link
 Catholic population of Serbia plummets
 Prelates urge concrete actions to address scourge of gun violence
 Sahel jihadists claim deadly twin attacks in Burkina Faso
 Italy emerges from vote with rise of eurosceptic parties, but no majority
 Syrian authorities give UN green light to deliver aid to Eastern Ghouta
 South African bishops praise new president, call for land redistribution
 Defend children’s rights and seek their good, Vatican diplomat tells UN Human Rights Council
 Faith is not a spectacle, but conversion to Christ, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Papal audiences (3/5)

Released Monday, Mar. 5

 Austrian chancellor meets with Pontiff
 English bishop: focus on Real Presence to renew interest in the Mass
 Dutch cardinal wishes for clarity on Amoris Laetitia
 Priest found dead in Congo; murder suspected
 Vatican official says divorced/remarried may be lectors, godparents
 Escort’s dossier shows homosexual activity by Italian priests
 Another former Vatican bank chief faces criminal charges
 Former seminarians charge misconduct by Honduran bishop
 Washington archdiocese issues guide for implementation of Amoris Laetitia
 Sacristan arrested for stabbing Kerala priest to death
 New feast reflects ‘feeling of Christian people through two millennia,’ says Cardinal Sarah
 Algeria: two more churches closed, others threatened
 Minnesota diocese to file for bankruptcy
 Iraqi fighters discover Christian mass grave near Mosul
 Explosions rock Burkina Faso’s capital as Islamist extremists attack
 Venezuela to hold presidential election in May
 Syria: UN says Russia’s eastern Ghouta aid plan not enough
 Introducing ‘Avangard’ and ‘Sarmat’: Putin shows off new hypersonic nuclear missiles
 Vatican diplomat pays tribute to 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights
 Cardinal Kasper says debate over Amoris Laetitia is ‘way too strong,’ states document is in accord with St. John Paul’s teaching
 Pope’s prayer intention for March: formation in spiritual discernment
 Pope Francis: Angelus address on the cleansing of the Temple
 Be tender with the sick as Jesus was, Pope tells Italian nurses
 Pope institutes feast of Our Lady, Mother of Church
 Resignations and appointments (3/3)
 Pope to visit Community of Sant’Egidio to commemorate its 50th anniversary
 Papal audiences (3/3)
 Mercy Friday: Pope visits women in semi-detention with young children
 Cardinal Koch discusses upcoming papal visit to World Council of Churches
 Papal audiences (3/2)

Released Friday, Mar. 2

 Pope to visit Geneva to commemorate 70th anniversary of World Council of Churches
 Papal preacher’s 2nd Lenten sermon: ‘Let love be genuine’
 New report examines repression in Vietnam
 Boko Haram attacks Catholic parish in Cameroon
 Christians in Damascus are coming under heavy fire
 Philippine bishops’ commission, lay leaders issue pastoral statement against divorce
 Egyptian government “legalizes” 53 church buildings
 Chinese archdiocese declares year of youth, with focus on Our Lady of Lourdes, ‘spirit of martyrdom’
 South Africa: bishops’ conference official laments tax increase
 Despite big tech resistance, US House passes bill to allow prosecution of trafficking websites
 Pope Francis, cardinals to hear confessions at Lenten penance service
 6 aid workers killed by Islamist rebels in Central African Republic
 Sant’Egidio’s president discusses community’s growth, mission
 4 UN peacekeepers killed in central Mali mine blast as jihadists ramp up activity
 BBC charity sacked 6 over sexual misconduct
 Brazil’s top court approves controversial forestry law
 Why do Hispanics leave the church? The Encuentro project aims to find out
 Trump stuns lawmakers with seeming embrace of comprehensive gun control
 Civilians stay put despite ‘pause’ in Syria Ghouta bloodshed
 Resignations and appointments (3/1)
 Papal audiences (3/1)

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Advent and Christmas Wisdom From St. Vincent de Paul