Stories for October 2018

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Wednesday, Oct. 31

 Abuse charge sidelines auxiliary bishop in New York
 Vatican releases annual message to world’s Hindus
 Scriptures are ‘living and active,’ Pope reminds American Biblical Society
 Human bones found under basement of apostolic nunciature in Rome
 Nicaraguan leader accuses bishop of attempting coup
 European women’s religious leaders call for female votes in Synod
 Sacred species stolen for satanic rituals, Irish priest
 Top Pakistani court frees Asia Bibi, discards blasphemy conviction
 Theme of Pope’s general audience: ‘In Christ, our spousal vocation finds fullness’
 Irish voters, in referendum, scrap law against blasphemy
 Primate accuses Archbishop Viganò of ‘hijacking’ World Meeting of Families
 Court hears arguments in suit aiming to take away mandate exemption from nuns
 Texas diocese opposes federal efforts to build border fencing on its property
 Benin’s bishops express concern about government sex-education programs
 Tension rises between Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox churches over Jerusalem monastery
 Division among Cameroon’s bishops over presidential election
 Vatican dicastery presents documentary examining Eucharistic miracles
 Masterpiece Cakeshop case drew $500K in grants from religious freedom foes
 Confront illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, Holy See diplomat says at UN
 Anti-Semitic incidents on the rise in US
 In Pakistan, it takes courage to be a Christian
 Holy See diplomat: ‘Address the threats to our oceans in a courageous and adequate way’
 US government is behind Ecumenical Patriarch’s support for Ukrainian Orthodox independence, Russian Orthodox official charges
 Vatican newspaper weighs in on Brazil’s new ‘ultra-libertarian’ government
 Worldwide decline in number of priests, seminarians, sisters; Catholic population rises by 14 million
 Ave Maria University president wants Church to ‘come clean’ on abuse crisis
 As migrant caravan approaches border, Catholic leaders call for compassion

Released Tuesday, Oct. 30

 Most African migrants remain in Africa, Ethiopian cardinal notes
 Five nuns kidnapped at gunpoint in Nigeria
 Vatican, Spanish government agree to find new burial place for Franco
 Editor of Vatican magazine expects Pope to name female cardinals
 Russian Orthodox prelate praises Pope for ‘balanced’ stand on Ukrainian independence
 Indian bishop’s laptop may be crucial evidence in rape case
 New Vatican approach will stress service to local dioceses, Cardinal Gracias says
 Cuba’s bishops: new constitution should protect human rights, including right to life, religious freedom
 Pakistan: Catholics protest following derogatory media portrayals of Christian symbols
 Afghan elections marked defeat for Taliban, missionary priest says
 Pope receives 30 young French pilgrims, encourages them to evangelize
 Mexican parishes pitch in to help Central American caravan heading north
 Holy See diplomat, at UN, calls for ‘integrated ethical’ response to rising sea levels
 Synod Fathers write brief letter to young people
 Agenda announced for US bishops’ fall meeting
 Papal condolences following Indonesian plane crash
 Iran’s new ambassador gives Pope a Persian rug
 UN General Assembly president thanks Pope for commitment to multilateralism
 German bishops declare day of prayer, penance for sexual abuse victims
 Listen to migrants and give them Jesus in the Bible and Eucharist, Pope tells Scalabrinians
 ‘Truth and biblical principles’ will bring change, Brazil’s new president says
 Pope tells Italian bishops’ news agency: give voice to the voiceless, ‘become more passionate about the truth’

Released Monday, Oct. 29

 Buffalo whistleblower says diocese discouraged her concern for abuse victims
 Former nuncio: heard rumors about McCarrick in 1994
 Combat the Great Accuser with prayer and penance, Pope says in Synod’s final address
 The Pope doesn’t understand China, Cardinal Zen writes in op-ed
 Synod was a time of listening and communal discernment, Pope tells pilgrims
 Pope, prelates pray for victims of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
 Humility, gentleness, and patience lead to peace, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Youth synod final report released, addresses gender, sexuality
 The Church must preach a countercultural message, Irish prelate says at Synod press briefing
 Pope warns against clericalism, worldliness, gossip
 2 martyrs beatified in Guatemala
 Pope appoints UCLA dean to Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
 Papal condolences for flood victims in Jordan
 Listen, be a neighbor, and bear witness to Christ, Pope preaches at Synod’s closing Mass
 Israel’s Christians reflect gloom as Jerusalem elections approach

Released Friday, Oct. 26

 Parishioners denounce nun who accused Indian bishop of rape
 Buffalo diocese whistleblower will appear on ‘60 Minutes’
 US religious-freedom commission notes attacks on Catholic Church in Nicaragua
 Synod document’s focus on ‘synodality’ did not come from bishops’ discussion
 Chinese priest jailed for leading religious-education for young people
 Bishop Holley alleges Cardinal Wuerl’s ‘revenge’ led to his removal as Memphis bishop
 Pope, at weekday Mass, preaches on knowing our sinfulness and Christ’s love
 Violence against Christians in Uttar Pradesh reaches record levels
 Christianity is a ‘revolution’ for Thai tribal families, missionary says
 Cathedral desecrated in Senegal
 Turkey gives Canadian-American Christian evangelist 15 days to leave country
 EU court upholds Austrian conviction of woman who called Muhammad a pedophile
 Without Yemen ceasefire, mass starvation looms, British Catholic relief agency warns
 African bishops will vote against any LGBT language in Synod document, prelate says
 Synod press briefing: synodality emerges as key Synod theme; abuse scandals also discussed
 Synod participants make 4-mile pilgrimage to St. Peter’s tomb
 Constantinople is no longer the leader of world Orthodoxy, leading Russian Orthodox official says

Released Thursday, Oct. 25

 British Catholic Herald to launch American edition
 Chinese authorities demolish two Marian shrines
 Jerusalem vicar decries use of force by Israeli police against Coptic monks’ demonstration
 At press briefing, participants reflect on Synod experience
 Synod’s final document is ‘much better’ than the working document, leading Polish prelate says
 Irish government approves excavation of Catholic orphanage mass grave site
 Tone down the crisis rhetoric on migration, Vatican official says
 In joint statement, Buddhist and Catholic nuns highlight detachment from consumerism, individualism
 Armenian patriarch meets with Pope Francis
 Jailed Vietnamese pastor deprived of medical care
 EU bishops commemorate World War I, pray for peace in Ypres
 3 prominent UN officials emphasize importance of religious freedom in protecting minorities
 DC attorney general launches investigation into Archdiocese of Washington
 Mexican bishops: listen to the cries of the poor, including migrant caravan
 Poll: Bible is the most-read book in the Philippines
 Eritrea is a ‘prison-state,’ priest says in open letter

Released Wednesday, Oct. 24

 Monogamous partners have happiest marriages, study shows
 Pope removes Tennessee bishop
 Honduran bishops admit migrant caravan shows country’s failure
 Pope demands better marriage preparation: ‘one does not joke with love’
 El Salvador court orders arrested of Archbishop Romero’s suspected killer
 Themes of Synod press briefing: fatherless and motherless youth; local synods; need to ask forgiveness
 USCCB, Lutheran body assisted 1,200 families this summer as parents, children were separated at border
 Australia’s bishops, religious orders welcome prime minister’s apology for institutional abuse
 Hope is living for the encounter with Jesus, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 In new book, Pope calls on youth, elderly to assist migrants, work against populism
 Youth need catechesis, relationship, Canadian bishops tell Synod
 Quebec bishops denounce abuses aired in broadcast on Oblates
 Cardinal Sarah praises Latin liturgy, Gregorian chant
 Sunday Mass attendance in the Netherlands falls to 6%
 In the Philippines, Mindanao nuns warn of ‘dangerous times’ for missionaries
 Pakistan: head teacher suspended after attacking 12-year-old Christian student
 Vietnamese prelate says it is more difficult to be a bishop in Europe than in Vietnam
 French parish desecrated
 10 Sudanese Christians beaten before release
 Report: 3-person teams are monitoring houses of worship in Wenzhou
 Nigerian prelate warns: ‘rumor mongering’ is fostering Muslim-Christian violence
 Pennsylvania nuns ask Supreme Court to overturn eminent-domain land takeover for pipeline

Released Tuesday, Oct. 23

 Indian priest, witness in bishop’s rape case, dies
 HHS may issue ruling that a person’s sex is based on biological characteristics
 Papal sympathy for earthquake victims in Trinidad and Tobago
 US bishops plan week of reflection, prayer on crisis
 Chilean court: no judgment against cardinals in cover-up case
 Pope Francis prays at St. John Paul II’s tomb on feast day
 English bishops’ conference calls for prison sentencing reform
 Scores killed as Muslims, Christians clash in Nigerian state
 8 Synod participants selected to draft message to youth
 Synod press briefing themes: migration, clerical abuse, Scripture, homosexuality
 Stay close to the suffering Christ and bring Him to a suffering world, Pope tells Passionists
 Colombia’s president, Pope Francis discuss reconciliation, other societal challenges
 Lay anti-abuse official in UK questions whether some bishops ‘get it’
 Oklahoma bishop issues memorandum on celebration of Halloween
 Nepal bans pornography to stem high rate of sexual assault
 China’s government shuts down 6 more churches in Guiyang
 Turkey’s Protestant Christians ‘feel stronger’ after trauma of Brunson case
 Birth of new Orthodox church in Ukraine brings fears of violence
 As refugee admissions drop, US admits fewer persecuted Christians
 Legal victory for college pro-life group whose display was restricted to ‘speech zone’
 House of Lords holds discussion on intolerance of religions
 Australia’s prime minister offers national apology to victims of child sexual abuse

Released Monday, Oct. 22

 Shooting leaves guard dead at Mexican cardinal’s residence
 Number of American nuns continues to plummet
 Cardinal Burke: College of Cardinals ‘in a very bad way’
 Colombian president, Pope discuss peace process, drug traffic, ecology
 Chilean abuse victims win suit against cardinals for cover-up
 Most British abortions follow contraceptive failure
 Gay parish associate resigns, despite support from Bishop McElroy
 Synod groups issue reports on 3rd part of working document
 ‘Dumbed-down Catholicism’ has been ‘pastoral disaster,’ Bishop Barron says at Synod
 Important African issues not being addressed at Synod, Cameroon prelate says
 Migration, communion, and ‘prophetic Church’ are themes of Synod press briefing
 Pope, at weekday Mass, contrasts leaven of the Pharisees, Holy Spirit
 Papal prayers for victims of Indian rail accident
 Pope pays tribute to new Spanish blessed, recalls World Mission Day, praises ‘Share the Journey’ initiative
 Christ’s teaching on service is the ‘rule of the Christian,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 Caritas launches global solidarity walk with migrants, refugees
 Former US Energy Secretary, a Nobel laureate, named to pontifical academy
 New Dutch ambassador meets with Pope
 Leading Vietnamese government official meets with Pope Francis
 Spanish Jesuit beatified

Released Sunday, Oct. 21

 Background: World Mission Sunday

Released Friday, Oct. 19

 Archbishop Vigano answers critics, challenges others to speak out
 Vatican rules: Cardinal Ladaria will not testify in French court
 Your iPhone is feeding the global arms trade, Ethiopian cardinal says at Synod
 Pro-life group warns: USAID gives millions in grants to group fighting US pro-life policy
 Themes of Synod press briefing: ‘digital missionaries,’ listening, and conversion
 ‘I believe the Lord wants a change in the Church,’ Pope told Lithuanian Jesuits
 Pope discusses abuse scandal in meeting with Italian seminarians
 Pope, at weekday Mass, reflects on 3 ways of living poverty
 Vatican: no plans for papal visit to Taiwan despite repeated invitation
 Vietnam upholds Catholic activist’s harsh prison sentence
 Pope Francis says he is open to visiting North Korea
 In Jharkhand, a Christian doctor arrested for ‘forced conversion’ of a child
 The Church needs to overhaul seminaries, a seminary vice-rector writes in op-ed
 Diocese of Buffalo’s seminary blamed for sexual culture among priests
 Archbishop sues Peruvian journalist for defamation
 FBI agents investigating Buffalo clergy abuse claims in federal probe
 Federal prosecutors open clergy abuse probe in Pennsylvania
 Church in Niger’s capital ransacked and burned
 Catholic cemetery desecrated in Israel
 Prelate welcomes re-authorization of anti-HIV funding

Released Thursday, Oct. 18

 Brazilian presidential contender pledges to maintain law against abortion
 Chinese bishop at Synod was member of National People’s Congress
 Vatican diplomat renews call for nuclear disarmament, says nuclear deterrence is ‘deeply flawed’
 ‘Romero saved my wife’s life,’ says husband of woman cured through saint’s intercession
 1st international dialogue between Catholic, Buddhist nuns held in Taiwan
 Pope Francis pays tribute to St. John Paul II, St. Ignatius of Antioch
 ‘Tolerance must be the chief characteristic of the Church,’ new Indonesian bishop says
 Church groups seek more aid for quake-hit Indonesian province
 Vatican Secretary of State offers Mass for peace in Korea
 In Vietnam, Catholic mother and blogger freed from prison, but forced into exile
 Cardinal Kasper laments xenophobia, nationalism, ‘America first’
 French parish desecrated
 Activists attack church in Chile’s capital as Mass is being celebrated
 Fear grips churches in northeastern Kenya as Muslim extremists kill 2 Christian teachers
 In eastern Ukraine, pro-Russian separatists seize houses of worship
 Sudan: 13 Christians arrested in Darfur, another church told to hand over property
 Christianity in Iraq ‘one wave of persecution’ from extinction, archbishop says
 Hardliners threaten judges as Pakistan awaits Asia Bibi ruling
 Prelate welcomes court decision striking down death penalty in State of Washington

Released Wednesday, Oct. 17

 Ukrainian Catholic prelate sees autonomous Orthodox Church as ‘affirmation of rights’
 ‘Underground’ bishop elected to lead local Patriotic Catholic group in China
 British bishops’ overseas charity cited for poor handling of abuse complaints
 $1.2M settlement for former Atlanta fire chief, dismissed for writing Bible study criticizing homosexual acts
 Some nuns press for women’s vote at Synod
 Synod press briefing: homosexuality, refugees, openness to change
 Chilean abuse survivors welcome laicization of bishops
 Ukrainian Catholic leader: Pope’s action on China, Ecumenical Patriarch’s action on Ukraine are healing acts
  Vatican holds conference on peace journalism
 Pope releases video for October missionary prayer intention
 Pope warns against ‘rigid’ laity, priests, and bishops
 Drugs, persecution are themes of Synod press briefing
 ‘Do not kill, according to Jesus’ is theme of Pope’s general audience
 Watering down Church teaching won’t attract young people, Cardinal Sarah tells Synod
 State Dept. official meets with Ukrainian Catholic leader
 Orthodox patriarch of Antioch calls for pan-Orthodox council to address disunity
 Major Orthodox split: official statement of the Russian Orthodox Church
 Chaldean cardinal says promised US aid for Iraq hasn’t come
 Vatican ‘foreign minister’ makes 4-day visit to Croatia

Released Tuesday, Oct. 16

 In message to FAO, Pope urges international mandates against hunger
 Major Orthodox split: Moscow breaks ties with Constantinople
 Top Egyptian imam meets with Pontiff
 ‘Coexistence group’ tears down cross on Greek island that receives migrants, refugees
 Prelates issue statements on Hurricane Michael
 Brazilian bishops decry intolerance, militarization
 Seminarian killed in Cameroon
 In India, 7 Christians on trial for 2008 murder of Hindu leader
 Chinese leaders unleash mass detention of Muslims
 Pope Francis calls on religious believers to be builders of bridges, artisans of peace
 St. John Paul II left an indelible mark on the Church, Pope Francis says in letter
 Synod fathers to vote on final document paragraph by paragraph; 1st draft already prepared
 Argentina feminist rally ends with Molotov bombs thrown at church
 Bishop Barron, at Synod, rues superficial religion texts, says gays and lesbians should be called to conversion
 At Synod, young participants discuss youth ministry, Iraq, scouting
 Synod press briefing: bishops apologize to youth, cardinal says African issues have been overlooked
 ‘The message of St. Óscar Romero is addressed to all without exception,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 At Synod, Polish bishops weigh in on discernment
 Irish bishop ordains diocese’s 1st permanent deacons
 Young people want a passionate faith that is ‘intellectually and practically reliable,’ English bishop says at Synod
 2 German states to investigate dioceses for abuse crimes

Released Monday, Oct. 15

 New ‘sostituto’ introduced by Pope Francis
 Another Mexican priest killed
 Indian bishop, jailed on rape charge, granted bail
 Polish president meets with Pontiff
 Face abuse ‘head-on,’ don’t ‘run and hide,’ synod youth say
 Be vigilant against ‘well-mannered demons,’ Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Listen to God’s invitation and respond, Pope tells Madagascar youth
 Cardinal Wuerl discusses his resignation, accuses Archbishop Viganò of calumny
 Algeria: Christian family accused of ‘proselytism,’ faces court hearing
 Egypt sentences 17 to death for attacks on Coptic Christian churches
 Norway’s Supreme Court upholds rights of doctor who refused abortion procedure
 US pastor freed from Turkey, prays with Trump in Oval Office
 New York Times editorial: ‘The Pope ignores the damage as another prelate falls’
 Pope Francis says he is ‘proud’ of Cardinal Wuerl as he praises prelate’s ‘nobility’
 Federal court upholds government grants to US bishops’ programs for migrants, human trafficking victims
 Pope Francis canonizes Paul VI, Archbishop Romero, 5 other saints
 Chile’s president meets with Pope
 Pope laicizes 2 Chilean bishops for abusing minors

Released Friday, Oct. 12

 Religious order sues Belgian members who allow euthanasia at hospital
 Buffalo bishop responds, says cardinal is misinformed
 Boston archdiocese expands scope of seminary investigation
 Decision ‘already made’ to grant autonomy to Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Constantinople says
 Inmates at San Quentin join schola to sing Latin Mass
 Pope accepts resignation of Cardinal Wuerl
 100 young missionaries have been killed since 2000
 Priest murdered in Ecuador
 Acapulco archbishop decries rampant violence
 Belgian bishop, at Synod, broaches ordination of married men to priesthood
 Cardinal O’Malley: Vatican should investigate Buffalo bishop’s handling of abuse allegations
 Migration an emerging theme at Synod
 12 prelates named to draft Synod’s final document
 African youth struggle with poverty and broken families, South African prelate says
 Synod press briefing’s themes: digital world, fear, loneliness, and Korea
 Jesus teaches us to be ‘invasive’ in prayer, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 170 nations have abolished or imposed moratorium on death penalty
 Boko Haram’s attacks in Chad increase
 Church in Colombia aids 5,000 Venezuelan emigrants a day

Released Thursday, Oct. 11

 Kazakhstan’s president fetes Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue
 Constantinople postpones decision on autonomy for Ukrainian Orthodox Church
 In China, repression of ‘underground’ Church continues despite pact
 San Diego bishop says Archbishop Viganò has ‘political agenda’
 Canadian bishops’ conference issues statement on right to safe drinking water
 25 churches sue Texas city over ordinance on discrimination in hiring
 UK Supreme Court rules in favor of baker who refused to supply cake supporting same-sex marriage
 Study highlights changing landscape of Catholic campus ministry in US
 EU bishops’ commission: there is a fundamental right to live in dignity in one’s native land
 Pope renews call to pray the Rosary in October
 Displaced Catholics in Myanmar’s Kachin State eye new home
 Philippine bishops warn priests against running for office
 Bishop: despite Christian journalist’s release, fears of more Kurdish abuses remain
 Chinese region revives ‘reeducation camps’
 South Korean prelate discusses possible papal visit to North Korea
 Texas dioceses to release names of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors
 Melbourne’s archbishop, at Synod, calls for rekindling of Church’s missionary spirit
 Architect of Pope’s prayer campaign sees ‘spiritual combat’ behind crisis
 Bishop Barron gives insight into youth synod process
 Synod press briefing’s themes: changing social reality, totalitarian ideologies, joyful collaboration
 Venezuela’s bishops indignant at arrests, demand justice following political dissident’s suspicious death

Released Wednesday, Oct. 10

 Chinese bishops will leave Synod early
 Cardinal Cupich: allow Communion for Catholics in same-sex marriages
 Pope Francis pays tribute to St. John Paul II
 US bishops express prayer, solidarity following Indonesian natural disasters
 Pope Francis discusses Hail Mary prayer in book-length interview
 Iraqi archbishop fears more persecution, says ISIS went underground
 Bishops at Synod ponder ambivalence of the digital realm
 At Synod, young people’s discussion groups issue reports; some criticize Synod’s working document
 Pope to visit Madagascar in 2019, cardinal announces
 Holy See diplomat laments human trafficking, discrimination against women
 Venezuelan cardinal deplores suspicious death of prominent dissident, calls for ‘exhaustive investigation’
 Seminary rector: part of my mission is to help Christians stay in Middle East
 Vatican newspaper highlights ‘alarm on the climate’
 Contemplation, service are themes of Pope’s weekday Mass homily
 Synod press briefing: Listening, conversion, and the role of women
 ‘Do not kill’ is theme of Pope’s general audience

Released Tuesday, Oct. 9

 Low turnout annuls Romanian vote defining marriage as union of a man and a woman
 Senate committee hears testimony on threats to religious liberty
 Indian lawmaker: ‘it is time to launch a drive to get rid of Christian missionaries’
 3 Pentecostal Christians arrested for ‘forced conversions’ in Uttar Pradesh
 True Christians are not afraid to get their hands dirty, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Archbishop Chaput, at Synod, criticizes ‘LGBTQ’ in Church documents, says working document engages in ‘false flattery’
 Synod press briefing: sexual abuse and role of women are in focus
 USCCB leaders meet with Pope Francis
 Kim Jong-un invites Pope Francis to visit North Korea
 USCCB president welcomes Vatican statement on McCarrick, calls on bishops to ‘reaffirm communion’ with Pope
 Chilean archbishop who was Vatican official faces abuse charges
 Prelate saddened by administration decision to cut refugee admissions to 30,000
 Connecticut bishop, at Synod, discusses abuse crisis, need for beautiful, transcendent liturgy

Released Monday, Oct. 8

 Antioch backs Moscow in Orthodox dispute over independent Ukrainian Church
 ‘Underground’ Chinese churches, priests still not listed on official web site
 Pope meets president of Montenegro
 Judge finds St. Louis ‘abortion ordinance’ discriminatory and unconstitutional
 California man sues Vatican for names of abusers worldwide
 Hong Kong bishop fears Chinese Catholic ‘suppression’ to continue despite Vatican pact
 Priest still missing in China despite China-Vatican deal
 Pakistani Christians caught up in Thai immigration crackdown
 Ireland’s bishops call for conscientious object clauses in draft abortion law
 Ortega regime intensifies crackdown in Nicaragua
 Pakistan Supreme Court to hear Asia Bibi’s death sentence appeal
 In Synod address to youth, Pope laments ‘scandalous clericalism,’ populism
 Pope repeats invitation to pray the Rosary in October, recalls Our Lady of Pompei
 Divorce ‘does not correspond to the original intention of the Creator,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 Cardinal Ouellet deplores ‘blasphemous’ Viganò letter, confirms Vatican had urged McCarrick to undertake life of prayer and penance
 Vatican pledges ‘thorough study’ of McCarrick documents
 Pope pays tribute to heritage of Slovakia’s Greek Catholics

Released Friday, Oct. 5

 Indian bishop denied bail on rape charge, further charge added
 Australian prelate apologizes to youth for failures to convey Catholic traditions
 English cardinal may be questioned about charges against predecessor
 Cardinal Sarah declines post at Synod
 US bishops’ Respect Life reflection recalls Our Lady of Guadalupe, Aztecs’ human sacrifices
 13 states now investigating dioceses over abuse of minors
 Florida attorney general launches website to report abuse by priests
 China-backed rebels target Myanmar Christians
 Ireland: human trafficking is theme of Church’s day for life
 Hindu radicals attack churches in 2 Indian states
 Students arrested for stealing 500 items from French, Belgian churches
 Report: churches looted in Chinese city
 China tightens control of religious websites
 Federal court backs Illinois priest who fired music director in same-sex marriage
 Church in Mexico begins ‘missionary year’
 Listen to young people, be open to change, Brazilian cardinal tells synod
 ISIS in Egypt’s Sinai announces death of top militant
 Priest at South Dakota cathedral accused of abuse of minor

Released Thursday, Oct. 4

 Two Chinese bishops at Synod, but others still barred from travel to Rome
 Chilean cardinal declines to answer prosecutor’s questions
 Cardinal Müller confirms investigation of English cardinal was blocked
 Police searches at Michigan’s Catholic dioceses
 Chinese official: pact allows for ‘self-managed and independent’ Church
 Using ex-FBI agents, lay group pledges ‘Red Hat Report’ on world’s cardinals
 USCCB president requests emergency collection for natural disasters
 Cardinal: foreign mercenaries are undermining the Central African Republic
 Vatican official calls for renewed missionary impetus
 Brazilian bishop: Catholics should back candidates who support indigenous rights, land reform
 In Indonesia, authorities close 3 churches; Christian group pledges legal aid
 Federal court upholds ‘so help me God’ in citizenship oath
 Number of undernourished people in the world rises to 821 million
 Tackle climate change to assist the Pacific region’s poor, Caritas says in report
 ‘Overcome the scourge of clericalism,’ Pope says in Synod’s opening address
 Chaldean patriarch welcomes new Iraqi president
 Taiwan’s ambassador to Holy See welcomes Vatican-China accord
 Orthodox Church accused of interference in Georgian elections
 Pope donates $100,000 to Indonesia’s earthquake, tsunami victims

Released Wednesday, Oct. 3

 Pope’s approval ratings dropping in US, survey shows
 Vatican enters new diplomatic accord with San Marino
 Pope Francis opens Synod of Bishops on youth, calls for ‘capacity to dream and to hope’
 Report: Fulani herdsmen kill 17 Christians in Nigeria
 Priest attacked in Chile
 Grotto destroyed in Karnataka; Hindu radicals suspected
 Sudan releases shipment of Bibles held in port for 6 years
 Exorcisms are increasingly valued in the Church, leading exorcist says
 DR Congo: bishops’ conference criticizes candidate’s use of Pope’s image
 Increasing numbers of Catholic missionaries come from Mexico
 Malawi prelate decries political attacks on Church, Catholic politicians
 Pan-Amazon Church delegation meets with EU officials
 Congressional committee hears testimony on China’s persecution of Christians
 Build a ‘culture of encounter that enkindles hope,’ prelate tells Hispanic ministry leaders
 Bishops join call to free Sri Lankan political prisoners
 Chinese nun is among youth taking part in synod
 Taiwan’s president praises contribution of Catholic missionaries
 Greek Orthodox leader: Greece is rudderless and in a moral crisis
 Our guardian angels help us continue on the journey, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 In lengthy remarks at UN, Vatican ‘foreign minister’ emphasizes right to life, other human rights

Released Tuesday, Oct. 2

 Dementia fears raised for Asia Bibi
 Report: students in 2 Chinese schools told to deny they are Christians
 Women must fight clericalism to heal church, Vatican publication says
 Filipino nun tagged as Communist fears for life
 Cardinal Zen joins protesters opposing worsening human rights situation in Hong Kong
 Indian bishop accused of rape continues to proclaim his innocence from jail
 Bishop warns of Kurdish persecution of Christians
 DR Congo: bishops’ conference official fears corruption in upcoming election
 Indian Catholics, Protestants join in prayer for protection from persecution
 Irish bishops issue pastoral letter on housing and homelessness
 Cardinal Baldisseri questions Archbishop Chaput’s critique of synod working document
 Pope Francis laments trend toward legalization of euthanasia
 Be transformed by the Spirit, Pope tells French priests
 Holiness in charity transforms the Church and the world, Pope tells Rosminians
 Prelate welcomes cancellation of FDA fetal tissue contract, calls for additional action
 Indonesia: Caritas, dioceses assist victims of earthquake, tsunami

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Thu26 March
Lent

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Image for Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

The weekday Masses towards the end of Lent are like a Passion Play. The Gospels, as one scene after the other, show the mounting hatred and growing tension. This is the “Abraham Mass,” telling of the inheritance received through Abraham. The Opening Prayer reminds us of our great inheritance received from Christ.…

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