News
Court’s pass on same-sex marriage rulings leaves plenty of questions
When the Supreme Court declined to review the appeals on rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional, many people were left second-guessing why this happened and what it means for the future of same-sex marriages and bans on such marriages.
Philippine general orders chaplains to pray rosary for pope’s safety
The head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Oct. 13 ordered all military chaplains to dedicate their daily rosary for the safe visit of Pope Francis to their country in January.
Only way to end poverty is to address its root causes, says speaker
Poverty is more than the lack of money, and until we understand its root causes, it cannot be eradicated.
Report takes deeper look at statistics about women’s religious orders
A longtime trend of declining numbers of women in religious orders is unpacked a bit in a new study by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
14 archdiocesan parishes in city and suburbs begin self-study
The next round of Parish Area Pastoral Planning will begin at 14 parishes with the goal of strengthening the church's presence in areas of Delaware and Montgomery counties, plus the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Parishioners learned of the news last weekend.
If laws don’t lead people to Jesus, they are obsolete, pope says
In a homily at morning Mass, Pope Francis said the legal scholars of Jesus' day were unable to see he was leading people down a new and surprising path. The pope urged people to "love God's surprises and to know that this holy law is not an end in itself," he said.
Synod calls church to accept gay people and couples of all kinds
In strikingly conciliatory language on situations contrary to Catholic teaching, an official midterm report from the Synod of Bishops on the family emphasized calls for greater acceptance and appreciation of divorced and remarried Catholics, cohabitating couples and homosexuals.
Clergy assignment changes announced
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput announces the following appointments effective as noted.
Today’s teaching on the family
See the daily excerpt from the preparatory catechesis for the 2015 World Meeting of Families, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”
Mind your language, bishops tell each other in Vatican synod
"Language such as 'living in sin,' 'intrinsically disordered' or 'contraceptive mentality' are not words that invite people to draw closer to Christ and the church," one bishop reportedly said at the Synod of Bishops on the family. Bishops are calling for a new kind of church language more appropriate for pastoral care today.