News
Pope to meet Jordan’s king, discuss ongoing strife in Middle East
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As international leaders increasingly discussed the possibility of some form of armed intervention in Syria, the Vatican announced Pope Francis would interrupt the last week of his summer break in order to meet Aug. 29 with Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Jordan and Syria share a border, and Jordan is hosting some […]
Fear of Egyptian violence doesn’t stop nuns’ hospital work
The Egyptian army's takeover in early July has led to deadly clashes with militants throughout Egypt, including within ear-reach of the century-old Italian Hospital in Cairo, where nuns from five different Catholic orders live and work. But fears of what is outside the hospital gates -- including a spike in attacks on the country's Christian institutions -- appeared to interfere little with the sisters' chores inside the historic medical facility built by Egypt's one-time vibrant Italian community.
Msgr. D’Angelico, pastor of Southampton parish, dies at age 66
Msgr. Anthony J. D’Angelico, 66, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Southampton, died Aug. 22. Born in Philadelphia, the son of the late Anthony and Madeline (Perrucci) D’Angelico, he attended Resurrection of Our Lord School in Philadelphia and Bishop Egan High School in Fairless Hills before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He was ordained May 18, 1974 by Cardinal John Krol at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul and his first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Donato Parish, Philadelphia.
We remember: Brooklyn parish’s sculpture recalls 9/11
A sculpture of Jesus embracing the twin towers of New York's former World Trade Center is seen outside St. Ephrem Church in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York. The sculpture honors the nine members of the parish who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This year marks the 12th anniversary of the attacks that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa.
Scottish archbishop says cardinal blocked plans for abuse investigation
MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- A disgraced Scottish cardinal halted a plan to allow independent investigators to examine church child abuse files, said a retired archbishop. In a letter to the British Catholic weekly The Tablet, retired Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow said that Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who earlier this year admitted to acts of sexual misconduct, prevented case files from being reviewed.
Healing Mass on feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
In celebration of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sept. 14, a special Mass for healing, including the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, will be celebrated Saturday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. at SS. Philip and James Church, 107 North Ship Road (Lincoln Highway), in Exton.
China’s ‘apple Catholics’ add spiritual activities to daily routine
BEIJING (CNS) -- Many rural villages in Shaanxi do not have a Catholic parish, and some with churches struggle with sparse attendance. But the village of Fufengxian, near the town of Baoji, has a population that is more than 80 percent baptized Catholics. When villagers are not tending to their apple orchards, they can be found attending Mass or praying at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church.
Pope asks pontifical academies to help fight human trafficking
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At the request of Pope Francis, scholars and researchers belonging to two pontifical academies and representatives of the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations will begin focusing on the phenomenon of human trafficking and ways to fight it.
Canadian nun: Egyptian Muslims protected church buildings after threats
CAIRO (CNS) -- Churches and other Christian properties around Egypt had already been looted, so when Catholics in Berba were tipped off that their southern village could be next, they acted fast. They and other Christian leaders got on their phones and called their Muslim friends, neighbors and colleagues who all had the same message:
Poverty, ‘ignorance’ blamed in destruction of Egypt Christian churches
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Two Egyptian-born Christian clergy, in separate telephone interviews with Catholic News Service, each blamed both poverty and "ignorance" for the attacks on Christian churches in Egypt. Through Aug. 20, 38 Christian churches were known to have been destroyed, with attacks on another 23 houses of worship, according to statistics compiled by a Coptic Christian group in Egypt called the Maspero Youth Union.