National News
Cardinal Mahony relieved of public duties for past failure to protect children
LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Cardinal Roger M. Mahony will “no longer have any administrative or public duties” as retired archbishop of Los Angeles because of past failures to protect children from clergy sex abuse, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez announced Jan. 31. The archbishop’s statement came the same day the archdiocese released 12,000 pages of personnel […]
Priests offer tips for Catholics long absent from the confessional
WASHINGTON (CNS) — After “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned” — even if they get that far — there are millions of Catholics who don’t exactly know what to say next. This is especially true for Catholics who have not gone to confession in years, or even decades. Despite parishes and dioceses inviting inactive […]
Archdiocese of Milwaukee seeks court relief to avoid financial woes
MILWAUKEE (CNS) — Nearly 25 months into the Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee continues to seek an answer to the question it has asked throughout the process: Who is eligible to make a claim? “How else are you going to satisfy them if you don’t know who has a claim?” Jerry Topczewski, […]
Experts, activists address effects of 40 years of legal abortion
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- To Gerard Bradley, leading constitutional scholar and professor at the University of Notre Dame's law school, "abortion is the greatest civil rights issue of our time." Bradley was one of several speakers from the legal and medical fields who joined activists at the National Press Club in Washington for a conference on "The Future of Roe: Women, Health and Law in the Obama Era," sponsored by Americans United for Life.
Harbaugh parents know one son’s team will win, another will lose in Super Bowl
BALTIMORE (CNS) — When the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving night in 2011 — and John Harbaugh beat younger brother, Jim, in the first NFL matchup of coaching brothers — Jack Harbaugh peeked into the Ravens’ locker room after the game. Jack Harbaugh, John and Jim’s father, was impressed by how […]
Musial recalled as a man who made ‘nobodies’ feel like ‘somebodies’
ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- A funeral Mass Jan. 26 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis for Stan Musial -- "a true American hero" -- brought comfort to those mourning the loss and a call for others to emulate his life of kindness to all. (Watch videos of Bishop Richard Stika's homily and broadcaster Bob Costas' words of remembrance.)
Judge calls HHS suit filed by Washington archdiocese and others, ‘premature’
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Jan. 25 dismissed a lawsuit filed against the federal contraceptive mandate by the Archdiocese of Washington and its co-plaintiffs, saying the case is premature in light of the government’s “promises to amend the mandate.” “Importantly, this ruling was not based on the merits […]
At annual March for Life, crowds show endurance, passion to continue
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Participants at the annual March for Life in Washington Jan. 25 demonstrated just how determined they are not only by showing up in such large numbers on a bitter cold day but by continuing a 40-year tradition of protesting the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion. “Forty years ago, people thought opposition […]
West Coast pro-life rally, march ‘here to stay,’ says event’s co-chair
SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) -- Tens of thousands of pro-life supporters crammed San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza and walked through the city's center for the ninth annual Walk for Life West Coast Jan. 26. Following the rally, participants walked the two miles from City Hall to the Ferry Building, traveling through the heart of the city's shopping and financial districts, filling Market Street for more than one mile. More than 50,000 participated, organizers estimated.
New York couple recalls their nearly 40 years of marching for life
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Bill and Peggy Devlin have taken a long view of the March for Life. Since attending the first march around the U.S. Capitol on a 70-degree day in 1974, the couple, from St. Frances de Chantal Parish in Wantagh, N.Y., have missed just one. In nearly 40 years of marching, they’ve seen […]