News
Catholics on both sides of Gaza border pray for hostilities to end
JERUSALEM (CNS) — As diplomatic efforts were underway to reach a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel Nov. 20, Catholics on both sides of the Gaza border prayed for peace. “When we pray for peace, we pray for peace for everyone,” said Father Yoel Salvaterra, who serves the Hebrew-speaking Catholic community in the southern Israeli […]
Pope condemns escalating Gaza conflict, calls for truce, talks
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI condemned escalating hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians, saying hatred and violence are never an appropriate solution to problems. He also called for greater efforts to promote a truce and peace negotiations. “I am following with great concern the escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the […]
Meeting in Fatima, bishops voice ‘deep unease’ over worsening Portuguese economy
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — Portugal’s Catholic bishops voiced “deep unease” about worsening economic conditions in their country and urged the government to show greater concern for the common good in its austerity drive. Saying they “feel the suffering and anguish of those suffering harshest consequences from the current crisis,” the bishops said they wanted to […]
March for Life directors elect successor to late Nellie Gray
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Jeanne Monahan is the new full-time president of the March for Life Education & Defense Fund, which organizes and runs the March for Life in Washington each January. She succeeds the late Nellie Gray, founder and president, who died in August at age 86. Monahan, a former board member, had been serving as interim president since Gray's death.
New social media tools can help tell age-old Gospel story, speakers say
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CNS) — Modern social media tools can make the centuries-old Gospel message new again for Catholics as they renew their faith and for those who have been baptized but have never embraced the faith. That was the view of a group of workshop presenters, most of them Catholic bloggers, who examined the role […]
Syrian refugees who fled fighting live in limbo in neighboring Turkey
ISTANBUL (CNS) — Michel George Sarkisiyan is behind on the rent for the one-bedroom apartment he shares with his wife and 8-year-old daughter, Magdalena. That’s just one of the hardships the small family has faced since fleeing to Istanbul from their home in Aleppo, Syria, 554 miles away. They can’t afford to pay the gas […]
Pope Benedict teaches about life, death, logic and truth
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The universal, natural human reaction to the death of a loved one should show believers and non-believers alike that human life has value, Pope Benedict XVI said. “The awareness of the sacredness of the life entrusted to us — not as something we can dispose of freely, but as a gift […]
Nativity story’s significance continues to unfold today, pope writes
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Nativity story, like the whole story of Christ, is not merely an event in the past, but has unfolding significance for people today, with implications for such issues as the limits of political power and the purpose of human freedom, Pope Benedict writes in his third and final volume on the life and teachings of Jesus.
Health is universal good to be defended, not commoditized, says pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Good health is a benefit that needs to be defended and guaranteed for all people, not just for those who can afford it, Pope Benedict XVI told hundreds of health care workers. The new evangelization is needed in the health field, especially during the current economic crisis “that is cutting resources […]
O’Hara students collect supplies for Hurricane Sandy victims
Students from Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield, PA collected non-perishable food items, toiletries, cleaning supplies and other basic essentials for victims of Hurricane Sandy during the week of November 12th. The students competed to see which grade could collect the most items. Their principal Dr. William McCusker promised a dress down day to the […]