Stories for November 2019

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Friday, Nov. 29

 26 move closer to canonization, beatification
 Pope says synodality is ‘what the Lord expects of the Church’
 Accused bishop appears in court in Argentina
 Cardinal Schönborn: Vatican officials lied about sexual abuse
 Nine priests kidnapped in one Nigerian state this year
 At least 47 Christians killed in North Kivu this month
 ‘We are all traumatized’: an interview with South Sudan’s leading bishop
 English bishops welcome return to UK of Islamic State orphans
 Commericialization of organ donation is ‘morally unacceptable,’ pontifical academy’s president says
 Pope sends $110,000 donation to Albanian earthquake victims
 Estonia’s president meets with Pope
 German anti-abuse association hands over millstone to Pope
 Survey: 74% of US Catholics say cohabitation is acceptable
 We must reverse degradation of our oceans and seas, Cardinal Turkson tells UN agency
 Over 11,000 scientists call for ‘bold and drastic’ population policy changes to combat climate change
 +Father Juan Carlos Scannone, SJ, 88
 Tabernacle stolen from Texas parish
 Lebanon’s Catholic leaders urge protesters to remain peaceful, civilized
 Vatican may ‘soon’ release details of McCarrick investigation, Cardinal O’Malley says
 China: religious imagery ripped out of churches, replaced with pictures of Mao, Xi

Released Thursday, Nov. 28

 2 teenagers arrested for setting fire to former French cathedral
 China investigates Christian book buyers
 Activist Chicago priest, Father George Clements, dead at age 87
 Belgian Salesians defend decision to send priest convicted of sexual abuse to Africa
 Irish government’s abuse commission says it overestimated children in religious-run homes
 Togo’s bishops lament government oppression, imploding political opposition
 Priest kidnapped, released in Enugu State
 Prelate discusses Lebanon’s financial crisis
 South Sudan’s factional leaders fail to agree on unity government
 Full text of Pope’s in-flight press conference from Japan
 Brazilian priest beatified
 Pope encourages Armenian foundation in its work of promoting peace
 Place the human person at center of ecological and development concerns, Vatican diplomat says
 USCCB renews call for ‘mutual, verifiable nuclear disarmament’

Released Wednesday, Nov. 27

 New chief named for troubled Vatican financial-oversight agency
 India’s top court orders release of Christians convicted in notorious murder case
 Persecution of Christians in Europe ‘much closer,’ says Hungarian premier
 Michigan priest tells homosexual judge not to receive Communion
 4 Christian farmers killed by Muslim Fulani herdsmen in Kaduna
 Former leading Greek Orthodox official in US arrested on wire fraud charges
 West African bishops warn of growing insecurity in the Sahel region
 Cardinal Tong appeals for peace in Hong Kong
 Pope, in general audience, reflects on journey to Thailand, Japan
 Pope sends condolences to victims of Albania earthquake
 Boston seminary report finds ‘isolated incidents’ but no ‘culture of abuse’
 Cameroon bishop closes 3 parishes after priests kidnapped
 DR Congo bishops lament collapse of order in eastern part of nation
 Historic shift in Italy as civil ceremonies surpass Church weddings for first time
 Pope Francis calls for ‘more humane, more just and ecologically responsible education’
 Catholic leaders voice concern over new asylum rules
 Repeat abortions on the rise in the UK
 ‘On abortion rights, 2020 Democrats move past safe, legal and rare’

Released Tuesday, Nov. 26

 Financial reforms are working, Pope insists, despite scandals
 Pope plans new Catechism change to condemn nuclear deterrence
 Leaked documents show Chinese ‘re-education camps’ for Muslim Uighurs
 Former bishop asked to repay $800,000 in restitution for financial misconduct
 Chaldean patriarch supports demonstrations against Iraqi government
 Italian bishops invited divorced/remarried Catholics to Communion
 Abuse investigation of retired Wyoming bishop in DA’s hands
 Violence against Christians steadily increasing in India
 Bolivian bishops help broker deal for new elections
 Bishops decry firing of Philippines’ drug czar
 Pakistani bishops’ commission decries Norwegian Quran burning as ‘inhuman act’
 Missionaries of Charity ‘are under attack from the authorities,’ Indian bishop warns
 Nanjing church demolished
 Church of England releases document on Jewish-Christian relations
 Dicastery announces establishment of youth advisory body
 Bishop accused of abuse headed back to Argentina for court appearance
 2 priests found guilty of abusing deaf children at Argentine school
 ‘Human dignity needs to be at the center,’ Pope tells Japan’s leaders
 Pope warns Japan’s faithful against ‘frenetic pursuit of productivity and consumerism’
 Victims of 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster meet with Pope
 Covington Catholic teen’s $275M lawsuit against NBCUniversal can proceed, judge rules
 Prelate, pro-life leaders warn against Shaheen amendment

Released Monday, Nov. 25

 Pope’s private secretary returning to previous Vatican assignment
 Vatican urged to block nuns’ hospital transfer
 Cardinal Tong appeals for peace in Hong Kong
 Pope condemns possession of nuclear weapons [News Analysis]
 Brooklyn bishop discusses abuse allegation with Pope Francis
 Caritas knew in 2017 of Central African Republic sex abuse concerns
 ‘Like the good thief, we want to speak up and profess our faith,’ Pope preaches to Japan’s Catholics
 Pastor and hearing-impaired child killed by Boko Haram in Cameroon church
 Catholic church burned down in Islamist attack in North Kivu
 Coptic Christian family attacked in Upper Egypt
 Pope Francis pays tribute to Nagasaki’s martyr saints
 Following arrest and dismissal of criminal charges, New York court dismisses lawsuit over Jack Chick tract
 Irish bishops launch ‘week of witness’
 Pope arrives in Japan, encourages bishops to ‘protect all life’
 Be rooted in Christ and carry out your mission with joy, Pope preaches to young Thai Catholics
 Pope calls for interreligious cooperation to end human trafficking, protect our common home
 Pope challenges Asia’s bishops to a renewed zeal for evangelization
 ‘Let us not be afraid to continue inculturating the Gospel,’ Pope tells Thailand’s priests and religious

Released Friday, Nov. 22

 Argentine bishop blasts prosecutors for seeking his arrest
 Vatican officials tapped suspect Swiss bank for controversial loan
 Vatican diplomat calls for stronger commitment to international law
 Erdogan claims to be defender of Christians, but Christians in Turkey and Syria are afraid
 Uttar Pradesh proposes ‘even tougher’ anti-conversion law
 French church desecrated
 Catholic Relief Services works to discourage migration from Liberia
 British government ‘concerned’ by Iran’s treatment of Christians
 Argentine court dismisses transgender lawsuit against archbishop
 Over 2,000 Jesuit school students push for action in Washington
 Belgian priest convicted of abuse became Caritas director in Central African Republic
 Bolivian parish becomes makeshift morgue as violence continues
 Bear witness to Jesus but do not proselytize, Pope tells US Catholic youth
 ‘See, stop, touch’: Pope sends message to conference on Catholic social doctrine
 Agreement between Angola, Holy See grants legal recognition to Church
 Pope calls for ‘merciful care born of love and respect’ in Catholic health care
 ‘Go forward in the footsteps of the first missionaries,’ Pope preaches to Thailand’s Catholics

Released Thursday, Nov. 21

 Korean Christian pastor murdered in Turkey
 ‘Absolutely no mercy’: leaked files expose how China organized mass detentions of Muslims
 1st ‘religious freedom index’ finds broad American support for religious liberty
 Make non-Western cultures better known, Pope tells journalists
 60 churches damaged by Venice floods
 Pope denounces exploitation of women, children as he begins Thailand trip
 Indigenous people have right to autonomy, leading Vatican diplomat says
 For 1st time, Vatican sends official observer to World Evangelical Alliance meeting
 Archbishop Viganò criticizes interreligious initiative as ‘temple of the world syncretistic Neo-Religion’
 Prelates recall 1989 murder of Jesuits in El Salvador
 Keep your hearts open to God and ‘keep journeyng,’ Pope tells Thai youth
 Pope meets with Thailand’s supreme Buddhist patriarch, underscores commitment to dialogue

Released Wednesday, Nov. 20

 Cardinal Parolin takes responsibility for troubled Italian hospital loan
 Prosecutor seeks arrest of Argentine bishop in Rome, fears flight from trial
 Vatican-backed London development plan involved demolition of parish hall, rectory
 Vatican agency applauds Louisiana governor’s re-election
 Vatican reaffirms hope for ‘two-state solution’ in Holy Land
 Vatican financial overseer suspended by international watchdog
 Human rights should be focus of UN’s work, leading Vatican diplomat says
 ‘I just wanted to be a priest’: Archbishop Gomez reflects on election as USCCB president
 Catholic family culture ‘changed human psychology forever,’ study claims
 More crosses torn down from Chinese churches
 Hindu political leader links Christian governor to ‘forced conversions’ in Andhra Pradesh
 Mob enters cathedral in Nicaragua’s capital, attacks priest, hunger strikers
 Colombian bishops declare day of prayer as protests continue
 Churches destroyed in Syria will be rebuilt, Erdogan claims
 Bishops, EU, UN convene national dialogue in Bolivia
 USCCB, Knights of Columbus offer prayers, solidarity to Eastern Catholic patriarchs
 The Church is your home, Pope says in message to Vietnamese Catholic youth
 Pope arrives in Thailand at start of his 32nd apostolic journey

Released Tuesday, Nov. 19

 Pittsburgh diocese cannot tap trust fund for abuse payments, court rules
 Vatican financial authority an ‘empty shell,’ says departing board member
 Pope visits St. Mary Major before Asian voyage
 December beatification for Archbishop Sheen
 The Pope understands the Diocese of Buffalo’s difficulties, Bishop Malone says
 In Vietnam, Catholic teacher sentenced to 11 years for ‘anti-state propaganda’
 ‘Serious internal fracture’ reported in Georgian Orthodox Church
 Maronite patriarch: Lebanon is a boat sinking amid economic and financial collapse
 EU Parliament raps new Polish law on sex education
 Bishops call on EU nations to ‘enhance social policies,’ tackle poverty’s causes
 Bishop, nun decry rise of miltant attacks in Mozambique
 Nicaraguan police surround parish, prevent worshippers from entering
 Chile’s bishops lament violence, call for prayer and penance, will consecrate nation to Blessed Virgin
 Cardinal Parolin: Pope will emphasize mission, environmental protection, and peace in Thailand, Japan
 Pope Francis, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi issue joint declaration on global health
 Pope praises apostolate’s efforts at parish evangelization
 Promote interreligious fraternity without loss of identity, Pope tells Argentine group
 President of Cyprus meets with Pope
 Pope offers encouragement to UN progam’s campaign against food waste

Released Monday, Nov. 18

 A ‘turning point’ in Australian perceptions of Cardinal Pell’s appeal?
 Top Vatican financial regulator removed
 Cape Verde’s president meets with Pope
 Jury orders pro-lifer to pay Planned Parenthood $870,000 for undercover videos
 Sexually abused as a child, Minnesota diocese’s judicial vicar feels revictimized by attorney’s disclosure
 Pope blesses palace given to homeless on the doorstep of the Vatican
 Pope Francis: ‘Move the deacons away from the altar’
 Experienced Vatican diplomat named new nuncio at United Nations
 As Vatican children’s hospital celebrates 150th anniversary, Pope blesses hands of doctors, nurses
 1,500 poor people have lunch with Pope
 Jesuit martyr beatified in Ecuador
 Become ‘witnesses of hope in a future of salvation and resurrection,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 Jesus warns us against haste, self-centeredness, Pope preaches on World Day of the Poor
 Pope addresses ‘words of friendship’ to Japanese people as visit approaches
 Pope rips ‘idolatry of the market,’ weighs Catechism change for ‘ecological sin’
 Grand Imam of Al-Azhar meets with Pope Francis at Vatican
 New York bishops meet Pope at end of ‘ad limina’ visits
 Pope speaks to Havana’s people of faith, charity, and hope on city’s 500th anniversary

Released Friday, Nov. 15

 Archbishop Scicluna: be prepared for new revelations
 Joint Islamic-Catholic colloquium ends with joint statement
 Pope sends video message to Thailand in advance of visit there
  Disagreements escalate over Notre Dame rebuilding project
 Vatican holds meeting on laity’s identity and mission
 Background: World Day of the Poor
 US bishops approve new edition of Program of Priestly Formation
 Vatican, Orthodox church representatives continue discussion of primacy, synodality
 Malawi’s bishops call for peace as violent political unrest continues
 Fire at former French cathedral; mayor suspects Satanists
 Buffalo’s Christ the King Seminary: sexual misconduct dates back decades
 ‘There is more than enough food for everyone’: Vatican diplomat sees ‘worrying tendencies’ in anti-hunger efforts
 Kenya’s bishops rip international population summit
 Belgium’s bishops oppose proposals to liberalize abortion laws
 Mozambique’s bishops defend prelate against accusations of racism, inciting violence
 Pope invites impoverished pilgrims at Lourdes to become Christians, live out the sacraments
 ‘Wisdom,’ ‘covenant,’ ‘outgoing’: Pope encourages work of Focolare’s university

Released Thursday, Nov. 14

 Buffalo’s Bishop Malone denies resignation rumors
 Austrian diocese confirms church blessing for same-sex union
 Protect children from internet abuse, Pope urges
 Spanish Jesuit succeeds Cardinal Pell as Prefect of Secretariat for the Economy
 Churches in Chios being destroyed by unknown vandals
 Vandals desecrate Carmelite convent chapel in Ireland
 EU court: Switzerland’s rejection of asylum claim by Afghan Christian convert violates human rights treaty
 FBI: 63 victims of anti-Catholic hate crimes in 2018
 Buffalo’s troubled Christ the King Seminary
 Pope names new bishop for scandal-hit Indonesian diocese
 Syrian bishop laments Turkish invasion, resurgence of ISIS; bomb explodes near parish
 Pope Francis denounces attacks on Jews
 ‘For us, they are martyrs’: Armenian prelate mourns priest murdered in Syria
 Chile’s bishops appeal for respect, dialogue after another church attacked
 Indonesian bishops: ‘The Church must open up’ and ‘strengthen interreligious brotherhood’
 Anglican primate to join Pope Francis on trip to South Sudan
 Pope appeals for interreligious dialogue following Burkina Faso attacks

Released Wednesday, Nov. 13

 Cardinal pressed for silence on abuse victim’s claims, English bishops testify
 Bishop DiMarzio hit with abuse charge, denies allegation
 Chinese bishop pressured to endorse Party platform
 Bishops urge people to ‘build a Bolivia in peace’
 Bethlehem seeing more pilgrims this year
 Pence touts administration’s work ‘keeping families together’
 US bishops affirm abortion as “preeminent” public issue
 Angolan president skips national day to meet with the Pope
 Illinois priest pleads guilty to child pornography, meth possession
 Poland’s abuse scandal has led to slump in vocations, primate says
 St. Irenaeus should be declared a doctor of the Church, US bishops say
 US bishops approve new hymn translations for the Liturgy of the Hours
 Hong Kong bishop says death of student is ‘suspicious,’ calls for independent investigation
 USCCB committee chairman weighs in as Supreme Court hears DACA cases
 Pope prays for Syria’s Christians following murder of priest
 Australian prelate decries ‘inhuman and dehumanizing’ treatment of refugees
 The devil destroys because he is envious, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Australian High Court allows Cardinal Pell to appeal sex abuse conviction
 Pope Francis reflects on Aquila and Priscilla, ‘a couple in the service of the Gospel.’
 Vatican newspaper: Pachamama is not a god, but mother earth

Released Tuesday, Nov. 12

 US bishops elect Archbishop Gomez as conference president
 Hong Kong crisis pits Catholic students against Catholic head of government
 Holy See will not participate in upcoming international population conference
 Archbishop Gomez urges political leaders to ‘fix our nation’s broken immigration system’
 US bishops vote to revise strategic priorities for 2021-2024
 Pope removes Fairbanks from list of mission dioceses
 Cardinal DiNardo reflects on term at USCCB president
 Prelate, at US bishops’ meeting, announces initiative to help pregnant, parenting mothers in need
 Community organizer honored during US bishops’ meeting
 Some renovations made to Lateran Basilica; new Mass prayers introduced
 Bolivian bishops appeal for calm, say Morales’ resignation was not a coup
 Pope Francis sees ‘an inclusive capitalism that leaves no one behind’ as a ‘worthy goal’
 Pope calls for ‘courageous employment policies’ in Italy

Released Monday, Nov. 11

 Whistleblower unimpressed with inquiry into Buffalo diocese
 Toronto Catholic school board adopts ‘gender identity’ protection
 Chaldean patriarch calls 3-day fast for peace in Iraq
 Pope meets with leaders of the Roman Curia
 Papal nuncio to US bishops: follow lead of Pope Francis
 Armenian Catholic priest killed in Syria
 ‘Holy bishop of the Council of Trent’ canonized in Portugal
 ‘Primacy of discipleship and service to the poor’: Pope praises Christian witness of the Salvation Army
 Lithuanian president, Pope Francis discuss promotion of the family, social justice
 Pope calls for opportunities for prisoners to reform, reintegrate into society
 ‘Beauty, music, and art allow us to know of God’s grandeur,’ Pope tells Vatican conference participants
 Pope calls on Rome’s Christians to be obedient and courageous evangelizers
 Pray for peace in Bolivia, Pope tells pilgrims
 Pope announces visit to South Sudan
 Pope refects on resurrection, life after death
 Judge dismisses West Virginia attorney general’s suit against diocese
 Nun whose body is incorrupt is beatified in Spain
 Parish looted by vandals as protests rage in Chile’s capital
 Praising Pope Benedict’s theology, Pope Francis awards Ratzinger Prizes to Charles Taylor, Father Paul Béré

Released Friday, Nov. 8

 Paraguay’s leading prelate: Proposed pay increase for politicians is ‘immoral’
 Mexican priest burns Pachamama in effigy
 ‘Work for a better and more integrated Europe,’ EU bishops state on 30th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall
 Colombian prelate criticizes Latin American bishops’ response to abuse crisis
 Vatican holds conference on prison pastoral care
 Pope, in message on ozone treaty, emphasizes dialogue, technology, and integral ecology
 Pope Francis calls for ‘cultural revolution’ to protect the vulnerable and the environment
 Cincinnati seminary’s enrollment surges
 Construction begins on largest Catholic parish in United States
 Man who alleges abuse by McCarrick writes ‘essay for the faithful’
 EU grants university $3.2M to develop artificial womb
 USCCB spokesman: Austen Ivereigh’s new book on Pope Francis make ‘false and misleading’ statements

Released Thursday, Nov. 7

 McCarrick pressed hard for troubled hospital loan
 Judge blocks Trump’s ‘conscience protection’ policy
 Turkish government again makes historic church a mosque
 Indian bishop denies allegations of sexual and financial misconduct
 Muslims mob destroys a Catholic church in Punjab
 Following synod, Pope restructures Brazilian dioceses
 USCCB launches national civility effort through 2020 election
 Leading Vatican diplomat warns against ‘unilateral’ reactions to multinational trade agreements
 Ethiopian cardinal emphasizes Church’s openness to refugees
 Vatican newspaper offers inaccurate reporting on US election
 Nigerian priest kidnapped, released
 Lithuanian bishops strongly recommend organ donation
 Kenya’s bishops announce 6-month anti-corruption campaign
 The Lord waits for everyone, good or bad, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Caritas offers 27 EU policy recommendations to address ‘political and social crisis’ of migration

Released Wednesday, Nov. 6

 Cardinal Pell objected to Vatican hospital loan
 Minnesota bishop under fire for handling of abuse complaints
 37 Mysuru priests accuse bishop of sexual misconduct, corruption
 US bishops arrive in Rome for ad limina visit with Pope Francis
 After Argentine order’s suppression, victims struggle to move forward
 Since 1969, 57 Jesuits slain for ‘defending justice and reconciliation’
 Church in Cameroon battles the destruction of forests
 South Sudan bishops: Pope’s peace gesture should not be in vain
 Theme of Pope’s general audience: ‘What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you’
 LCWR, Catholic Relief Services, religious orders condemn US withdrawal from Paris climate agreement
 Vatican newspaper: Award of Nobel Peace Prize to Ethiopian leader is well deserved
 Find new ways to assist Sahel’s ‘increasingly vulnerable people,’ prelate urges
 Vatican diplomat: Respect religious freedom in fight against terrorism
 USCCB pro-life chairman urges Congress to support Dignity for Aborted Children Act
 Video released for Pope’s monthly prayer intention

Released Tuesday, Nov. 5

 Disgraced Bishop Bransfield not welcome at US bishops’ meeting
 Venezuela cardinal: Maduro leading nation to ruin
 Nicaraguan cardinal decries desecration of protesters’ tombs
 Church leaders launch anti-poverty drive in Philippines
 Jesuits celebrate 50 years of emphasis on social justice
 Rome’s pontifical universities award 1st joint diplomas in integral ecology
 Irish nun, winner of State Department award, promotes girls’ education in South Sudan
 Colombian bishops call for ‘3 minutes for peace’
 Catholic patriarch decries corruption, sectarianism as Iraqi protests continue
 Catholics, Orthodox Christians face threat of ethnic cleansing in northern Syria
 British government examines human rights, including religious freedom, in 30 countries
 ‘It is necessary to overcome the legacy of the Enlightenment,’ Pope tells leaders of Catholic universities
 Pope preaches about the Resurrection during Requiem Mass for deceased cardinals, bishops
 Pope prays for Christians, other victims of violence in Ethiopia
 In new book-length interview, Pope Francis discusses Church’s missionary nature

Released Monday, Nov. 4

 New records raise new questions about West Virginia diocesan finances
 Investigation of Buffalo diocese complete; Vatican to receive report
 Vatican auditor ousted to avoid disclosure of irregularities?
 Austrian man takes credit for throwing Pachamama in Tiber
 Cardinal Dolan: would not deny Communion to Biden
 Trump administration lifts ban on funding for Christian adoption groups
 Chinese faithful occupy church in bid to stop demolition
 ‘God condemns sin, but tries to save the sinner,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 UK inquiry: Pope’s words ‘difficult to reconcile’ with Vatican’s lack of cooperation with abuse inquiry
 Argentine reports say Pope Francis won’t go home in 2020 after all
 Bolivian bishops urge transparency amid signs of electoral fraud
 Generational divide among evangelicals shakes prominent seminary
 Christ’s love is not like a soap opera, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 In speech at Pontifical Lateran University, Pope calls for global educational pact for peace
 In video message to young Catholics and Jews, Pope discusses death
 On All Souls’ Day, Pope preaches on identity, place, and hope
 Holiness is ‘gift and call,’ Pope says on All Saints’ Day
 Pope’s November prayer intention: Dialogue and reconciliation in the Middle East
 Bishops welcome proposed federal rule change on faith-based adoption, foster care agencies
 Pope encourages ‘competence and compassion’ in care of sick and disabled
 Foster respect for the dignity of prisoners of war, Pope tells military chaplains
 Pope extends feast of Our Lady of Loreto to the universal Church

Want more news? Visit the Archives.

Thu18 September
Ordinary Time

Thursday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Image for Thursday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663), who was born at Cupertino, Italy, and died in Osimo. He was of lowly origin and had little formal education. In his youth he was employed as an apprentice to a shoemaker. He joined the Conventual Franciscans as a lay brother but…

Learn more about this day.

September Calendar ›
Subscribe to Insights...free!
News, analysis & spirituality by email twice-weekly from CatholicCulture.org.
First name:
Last name:
Email address: