News
Puerto Rican mass at Cathedral
On Sept. 27 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter & Paul Archbishop Charles Chaput celebrated the annual Puerto Rican mass with a dozen other priest and deacons from the archdiocese. Coral Nueva Creacion Choir with Damaris Thillet and Diego Correa provided music for the night. Before mass there was a procession of the holy rosary.
True marriage ‘part of natural law,’ archbishop says in pastoral letter
Marriage is "not created by law or the state" because it is "a natural and pre-political institution," Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark said in a pastoral reflection issued Sept. 25. "How long would the state permit churches, schools or parents to teach their children that homosexual activity is contrary to the natural law if homosexual marriage were a civil right?" he asked. "Already in Canada and other democratic nations 'hate speech' laws have been used to harass or even arrest clerics who preach the biblical message about marriage."
Uruguay’s lower house passes bill to legalize abortion
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (CNS) — After more than nine hours of deliberations, Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies approved legislation that would legalize abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. While the debate heated up inside the country's Congress Sept. 26, hundreds braved the cold weather outside to demonstrate for and against the legislation. The 50-49 vote changed […]
New evangelization in America a focus for bishops’ synod
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Blessed John Paul II launched the project he called the new evangelization, he made it clear that it was aimed above all at reviving the ancient faith of an increasingly faithless West: “countries and nations where religion and the Christian life were formerly flourishing,” now menaced by a “constant spreading […]
St. Louis to host day of prayer to implore Mary’s blessing upon nation
ST. LOUIS (CNS) — St. Louis will host a National Day of Prayer in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Oct. 6. Several local lay Catholics, with the blessing of St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, have invited members of the Family of Mary to lead the day of prayer, which will be held downtown […]
Catholic leaders at Poverty Summit look at poverty’s causes, solutions
WASHINGTON (CNS) — When a few hundred people met in Washington recently to discuss ways to solve the nation's high poverty rate, one group was noticeably missing from the discussion: those actually living in poverty. That did not go unnoticed by participants and speakers who mentioned their absence and said they hope to add the […]
‘VatiLeaks’ trial will be landmark event for Vatican tribunal
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — For the Vatican's criminal court, the trial of Paolo Gabriele and Claudio Sciarpelletti for their alleged part in leaking papal correspondence will be unusual and may lead the Vatican to invoke a never-used cooperation agreement with Italy. Giovanni Giacobbe, promoter of justice in Court of Appeal of Vatican City State, explained […]
National Geographic story links Philippine priest in ivory smuggling
WASHINGTON (CNS) — A National Geographic magazine cover story identifies a Philippine Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse in the United States as fueling his country’s illegal trade in ivory. In the course of his research for the October issue, Bryan Christy learned that Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, director of worship for the Archdiocese of Cebu, […]
Vatican congregation restructures course on religious life
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — To mark the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and reflect on the major changes it brought to consecrated life, the Vatican’s congregation for religious has overhauled the course it offers on theology and canon law. The Second Vatican Council’s call for religious to return to the founding inspiration of […]
Sister Margaret Mary Ryan, S.B.S.
Sister Margaret Mary Ryan, S.B.S., who was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1921, died Sept. 9 in her 92nd year and 71st year of her religious profession at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Bensalem. Her first teaching assignment was at Holy Providence School in Bensalem. From there her assignments […]