News
Pope says he’d rather trust God than live in bullet-proof bubble
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM BRAZIL (CNS) — With a few Vatican police standing at attention in the very back of the Alitalia plane flying him back to Rome, Pope Francis told reporters about his security even before being asked. “My security staff is very, very good and now they are letting me do a […]
Vatican to cooperate with Italy in fight against financial crimes
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican signed an agreement with Italy to share information regarding suspect financial transactions in an effort to strengthen its ability to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with its Italian counterpart, the Financial Information Unit, in order to […]
Pope commissions young people to be missionaries without borders
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Pope Francis commissioned some 3 million young people to join forces and form what could be called Missionaries Without Borders. On the white sand of Copacabana beach -- under partly sunny skies, a relief after days of rain in Rio -- Pope Francis celebrated the closing Mass for the July 23-28 celebration of World Youth Day Rio.
Pope tells Brazilian protesters to be peaceful, bring values to society
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — The street protests involving hundreds of thousands of mostly young people in cities across Brazil, and in other countries, are a sign of the youths’ desire for a more just world, but Christians must ensure the protests are peaceful and that efforts to improve society are guided by Christian values, […]
Krakow, Poland, to host World Youth 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Krakow, Poland, will be the site of the next World Youth Day, in 2016. Pope Francis made the announcement shortly after celebrating the final Mass of this year's World Youth Day before a crowd of more than 3 million people on Copacabana beach.
Pope tells Brazil’s bishops to speak with simple language, love
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — Acknowledging the Catholic Church’s heavy loss of members in Brazil over recent decades, Pope Francis told the country’s bishops that they must learn to understand and sympathize with the reasons for people’s disaffection and speak to them in a simpler language of beauty, mystery and love. “We need a church […]
Play on Christ’s team, help build up the church, pope tells youths
RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — Pope Francis told young people God might have been trying to communicate something in forcing the World Youth Day vigil’s change of venue from a huge field to a long narrow stretch of sand and sea. Addressing as many as 3 million young — and not-so-young — people on Rio’s […]
Malvern Prep searched deep in the heart of Texas for new basketball coach
Malvern Prep’s administrators have received their share of interesting coaching candidates over the years. Especially recently. Impressed by several resumes, one in particular raised some eyebrows – in a good way. After coaching for 12 seasons at Cypress Springs High School outside Houston, Texas, John Harmatuk was ready, willing and able to travel to the northeast to inherit the Friars.
Program informs Catholic educators about anti-Semitism, the Holocaust
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Bill Bayly, a history and religion teacher at St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel, Md., said the future for Catholic and Jewish relations is bright. Bayly was one of 40 Catholic school educators from 24 states who gathered at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum July 24 to learn about the history of anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and the historical relationship between Jewish and Catholic communities.
Federal judge orders delay in enforcement of Alabama abortion law
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (CNS) -- A federal judge in Montgomery issued an order July 23 to delay enforcement of a new Alabama law that mandates abortion clinic doctors have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The law, which was to have gone into effect Aug. 15, also requires abortion clinics to meet the same safety standards as ambulatory care centers.