News
Observers hope Gosnell’s guilty verdicts force reappraisal of abortion
UPDATED -- In a plea bargain with prosecutors, abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell accepted a sentence of life in prison without parole May 14. By accepting the sentence he avoided the death penalty that prosecutors had sought, and he agreed to waive appeals of his convictions.
Church silent after ex-Guatemalan dictator found guilty of genocide
GUATEMALA CITY (CNS) -- Church officials in Guatemala did not comment in the days after a former dictator, Gen. Efrain Rios Montt, was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. A judge sentenced Rios Montt, 86, to 80 years in prison for crimes carried out in 1982, when he allegedly initiated a policy of extermination of Mayans for their ties to Marxist guerrillas. The ruling was seen as historic in a country known for its impunity.
Permanent deacon candidates set for ordination June 1 at Cathedral
Fifteen men will be ordained permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput on Saturday, June 1 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. CatholicPhilly.com invites you to read the following biographies of the men, and pray for them and the 275 permanent deacons serving the Archdiocese.
Gosnell convicted of murder of three babies, manslaughter of adult
UPDATED -- PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- A Philadelphia jury May 13 found Dr. Kermit Gosnell guilty of murder in the deaths of three babies born alive during abortions and acquitted him of a fourth similar charge. He also was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death by a drug overdose of a patient who had an abortion. Gosnell, 72, was accused of snipping the spines of babies born alive during illegal late-term abortions. Pennsylvania law prohibits abortions after 24 weeks of gestation.
Church is growing worldwide, especially in Asia, Africa, Vatican says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The number of Catholics in the world and the number of bishops, priests, religious men and seminarians all increased in 2011, while the number of women in religious orders continued to decline, according to Vatican statistics. The number of permanent deacons is showing “strong expansion” globally, but especially in Europe and […]
Portuguese cardinal entrusts Pope Francis to Our Lady of Fatima
FATIMA, Portugal (CNS) — Entrusting Pope Francis’ pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima, Cardinal Jose da Cruz Policarpo of Lisbon, Portugal, asked Mary to give the pope courage and strength, particularly as he moves to renew and reform the Catholic Church. “Give him the gift of discernment to know how to identify the ways of […]
Patroness, inspiration, intercessor: Mary is beloved in Latin America
MEXICO CITY (CNS) — May is the month of Mary, who is celebrated the length of Latin America as someone more than the mother of God — or even a religious figure. Mary is associated with everything from national identity in Mexico to the mother earth in Chile to the national patroness of many of […]
Sainthood cause of 16th-century Jesuit moves to Vatican
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Although it has taken more than 400 years, the sainthood cause of Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci, the 16th-century missionary to China, appears to be back on track. Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Macerata, Italy, where Father Ricci was born in 1552, formally closed the diocesan phase of […]
Tens of thousands march for life in Rome
UPDATED -- VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke and U.S. pro-life leaders joined tens of thousands of demonstrators in Italy's third annual March for Life May 12, which ended with a personal greeting from Pope Francis. According to organizers, some 30,000 marched along the route from the Colosseum to Castel Sant'Angelo, a distance of nearly two miles.
Syrian crisis part of Western geopolitical strategy, says patriarch
BEIRUT (CNS) -- The Syriac Catholic patriarch said events in Syria were the result of Western nations carrying out a geopolitical strategy "to split Syria and other countries" in the Middle East. "It's not a question of promoting democracy or pluralism as the West wants us to understand of its policies. This is a lie, this is hypocrisy," Syriac Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan told Catholic News Service.