Vatican City, Aug 8, 2021| (CNA) – Pope Francis said on Sunday that Jesus’ declaration that he is the “Bread of Life” renews “our amazement for the gift of the Eucharist.” In his Angelus address on Aug. 8, the pope reflected on the meaning of Jesus’ statement in a passage of the Gospel of John known as …
Continue reading “Pope Francis: Jesus Renews “Our Amazement for the Gift of the Eucharist””
(CNS) — The annual Fête-Dieu du Teche in the Diocese of Lafayette is a “time for all of us to renew our faith,” following the example of the first Acadians who were “led by their faith” when they came to Louisiana, said Lafayette Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel. The 40-mile eucharistic procession by boat and on …
Continue reading “Eucharistic Boat Procession Celebrates Faith, Family, Tradition”
Vatican City, Aug 1, 2021 / (CNA) – Pope Francis said on Sunday that God wants us to move “beyond the logic of interest and calculation” and enter into a loving relationship with Him. In his Angelus address on Aug. 1, the pope said that Catholics were called to mature in faith, leaving behind self-interest. “We are …
Continue reading “Pope Francis: ‘The Lord wants a loving relationship with us’”
By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican released the names of members of two commissions charged with assisting the leaders of the Synod of Bishops’ general secretariat in reviewing documents, drafting resources and developing best practices. According to the synod website, the theological commission and the methodology commission will …
Continue reading “Vatican Names Planning Group for Upcoming Synod”
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Approving the revision of the entire process of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis has asked that it begin with serious, widespread consultations with laypeople on the diocesan level. “In reality, without this consultation, there would be no synodal process, because the discernment of pastors, …
(CNA) – Following the Columbine High School massacre in April 1999, Catholic educator and counselor Frank DiLallo knew he had to do something. With a background in school counseling, DiLallo recorded an audio CD titled The Peace Project, a collection of introspective meditations on relaxation and self-regulation for students. “I imagined what it would have …
Continue reading “Bullying Redirect Provides Christ-Centered Solutions to Bullying and Mistreatment”
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Saying he was acting for the good of the unity of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has restored limits on the celebration of the Mass according to the Roman Missal in use before the Second Vatican Council, overturning or severely restricting permissions St. John Paul …
Continue reading “Appealing to Need for Unity, Pope Restores Limits on Pre-Vatican II Mass”
By Manuel Rueda, Catholic News Service (CNS) — The Cuban bishops’ conference called on the island’s government and protesters to “listen to each other” and avoid violence as the country reels from demonstrations sparked by food shortages, power outages and worsening economic conditions. (Click here to read a statement by four Cuban-American bishops.) The protests …
Continue reading “Cuban Bishops Call for Dialogue as Island Reels from Protests”
By Dianne Towalski, Catholic News Service CHAMPLIN, Minn. (CNS) — The Twin City Twisters in Champlin is the home gym of Grace McCallum, a member of the 2018 World Championship U.S. gymnastics team. A large banner hangs over the facility’s main entrance honoring that accomplishment. But her supporters are hoping the gym will soon need …
Continue reading “Gymnast Headed to Olympics Relies on Hard Work, Trust in God”
(CNA) – Pope Francis returned to the Vatican on Wednesday after spending 11 days in a Rome hospital to recover from colon surgery. The Vatican said on July 14 that Pope Francis was discharged from Gemelli Hospital shortly after 10:30 a.m. Rome time and left the hospital to return to his Vatican residence by car. …
Continue reading “Pope Francis Returns to Vatican after Colon Surgery”
(CNA) – A virtual three-day summit dedicated to St. Joseph will feature more than 40 evangelists and aims to connect Catholics with their “spiritual father.” The summit “Our Spiritual Father: Pilgrimage to the Heart of Saint Joseph” will be held online from Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, and will be hosted by Deacon Steve Greco, the president …
Continue reading “Upcoming Virtual Summit Seeks to Increase Devotion to St. Joseph”
WASHINGTON – Upon the news of the brazen assassination of Haiti’s president at his home, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued the following statement: “We express our …
Two staff members from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami are now on hand daily at the Family Assistance Center which was set up for relatives of those missing after the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida on June 24, 2021. Please pray for all those impacted by this devastating collapse. To assist with …
Continue reading “Catholic Community Responds to Building Collapse”
U.S. Bishops Approve the Writing of a Document on the Meaning of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church Bishop Gregory Parkes welcomes the idea to enhance teaching on the Eucharist, especially given that the role of a bishop is to teach the faith. Also, the U.S. Bishops have embarked on a multiyear National …
Each year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) observes Religious Freedom Week. Beginning with the feast day of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, and including the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the week-long commemoration ends with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Religious Freedom Week will be observed this year from …
Continue reading “Catholics Invited to Celebrate Religious Freedom Week, June 22-29”
Photo Above: The class of 2021 for the Deacon Formation Program of the Diocese of St. Petersburg who were admitted to the Rite of Candidacy for Holy Orders on October 19th at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle; Frank Averill, Guillermo Caceres, Geoff D’Angelo, and James Riveiro. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) …
Following the verdict in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota today, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, and Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development issued …
Continue reading “Statement of U.S. Bishop Chairmen on Verdict in Trial of Derek Chauvin”
The Biden Administration announced Friday afternoon that it will not increase the historically low number of refugees who can be resettled in the United States for the current fiscal year. However, it will restore the long-time practice of allocating refugees from every region of the world, thus opening resettlement to some who were not included …
The bishops along the border of the United States and Northern Mexico have issued a joint statement on the situation at the border of the two countries. Their joint statement follows: As U.S. and Mexican bishops along the border, we witness daily the dilemma that our migrant sisters and brothers face. For most, the decision …
Following a mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, CO, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development issued the following statement: “As we are still reeling from the loss of life in the mass shootings in Atlanta, it is heartbreaking …
Continue reading “U.S. Bishop Chairman Mourns Loss of Life in Mass Shooting in Boulder, CO”
Following passage of legislation to repeal the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development issued the following statement: “I welcome Virginia’s repeal of the death penalty as a bold step towards a culture …
Continue reading “U.S. Bishop Chairman Welcomes Repeal of Death Penalty in Virginia”
Following deadly shootings at three businesses in the greater Atlanta area this past week and the dialogue that has been ignited about other reported incidents of aggression against people of Asian descent, Bishop Oscar A. Solis of Salt Lake City, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific …
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Administrative Committee has issued the following message today on the global COVID-19 pandemic. The USCCB’s Administrative Committee is led by the president of the Conference, and is made up of all the chairmen of the Conference’s committees and a representative from each Episcopal Region of the United States …
Five committee chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) wrote a letter to members of Congress opposing the recent reintroduction of the Equality Act (H.R. 5), which is scheduled to be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives this week. The bishops warned of the threats posed by the proposed legislation to …
WASHINGTON– On March 2, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recently approved for use in …
The Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling usurped the proper role of legislators and imposed an extreme abortion regime that has contributed to the polarization that has divided us as a nation and further wounded our society by ending over 61 million lives. Its trauma affects the web of social relationships that form families …
From: Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, January 20, 2021 My prayers are with our new President and his family today. I am praying that God grant him wisdom and courage to lead this great nation and that God help him to meet the tests …
WASHINGTON —Following the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and reports of an FBI bulletin warning of “armed protests” in state capitals and Washington, DC, in the coming week, including groups urging participants to “storm” state capitols and other government buildings and threatening “a huge uprising,” as well as reports of threats against …
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement on the new COVID-19 vaccines. Do these new vaccines align or conflict with the Church’s teaching on life? Were they developed using aborted fetal cells? It’s a complicated issue but this statement provides guidance for the faithful. The statement in part reads: “The Congregation …
With more federal executions scheduled in December and January, two bishop chairmen call on the Administration to recall God’s mercy during Advent. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, …
Continue reading “Recalling the Meaning of Advent, U.S. Bishop Chairmen Call for End to Executions”
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announces a new, intuitive website dedicated to Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli tutti”. By Vatican News staff writer Beginning Tuesday, Pope Francis’ recent Encyclical Fratelli tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship, will be more readily accessible by the faithful. The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announces a special website dedicated …
Continue reading “Vatican launches website dedicated to “Fratelli tutti” encyclical”
The Solemnity of Christ the King is Sunday, November 22, 2020. Here is a reflection from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: “The Solemnity of Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI with the encyclical Quas primas. The Holy Father speaks directly to the problem of what he referred to as “anti-clericalism,” …
Continue reading “Acknowledging the importance of religious freedom on Christ the King Sunday”
In the wake of more federal executions scheduled in coming weeks, two bishop chairmen have issued a statement calling on the Administration to act as a witness to the dignity of all human life. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and …
Continue reading “U.S. Bishop Chairmen Renew Call to Stop Executions”
The following statement is from Most Reverend José H. GomezArchbishop of Los Angeles, President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). November 10, 2020 I welcome the report of the Holy See’s investigation into its knowledge and decision-making regarding Theodore McCarrick during his long career as a priest, bishop, and cardinal. We are studying …
Continue reading “USCCB Statement on Holy See’s Report on Theodore McCarrick”
WASHINGTON – Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued the following statement on the 2020 presidential election: We thank God for the blessings of liberty. The American people have spoken in this election. Now is the time for our leaders to come together in …
Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Religious Liberty, applauded an announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) that, in response to two complaints received, it has taken action to ensure that hospital patients have access …
Continue reading “U.S. Takes Action to Ensure Access to Spiritual Care During COVID-19 Pandemic”
Fr. Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus, will be beatified during a special Mass Oct. 31, 2020 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford. On May 27, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis, who met with the board of directors of the Knights of Columbus in February, had signed the decree …
Continue reading “American Priest to be Beatified on October 31, 2020”
The FDA recently approved Sanofi Pasteur’s request to switch from using an aborted fetal cell line (MRC-5) to using an ethical animal cell line to produce its polio combination vaccines Pentacel and Quadracel. The drug company has also chosen to discontinue production of its stand-alone polio vaccine, Poliovax, which also used MRC-5 for its production, …
As the observance of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) begins, Bishop Arturo Cepeda, auxiliary bishop of Detroit and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs says both the Catholic Church and American society must acknowledge the historic and current contributions of Hispanic and Latino leadership in …
Catholic schools, especially those serving urban areas have been disproportionately impacted in the ongoing fallout of the novel coronavirus. Three bishop chairmen of committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have sent a letter to Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, requesting support for black families in Catholic …
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued the following statement in solidarity with Lebanon after the explosion in the Port of Beirut: “The world watched with shock and horror the catastrophic explosion in the Port of Beirut Tuesday. Over 100 have died, thousands are injured, …
Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued the following statement: “Alongside Pope Francis and my brother bishops throughout Latin America, I condemn the sacrilegious attack against the Cathedral of Managua that occurred on Friday, July 31. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, archbishop …
On July 28, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf issued a memorandum adding limitations to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The memorandum was issued in response to the recent 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States striking down the Trump Administration’s September 2017 attempt to end the DACA program. The …
The United Nations designated July 30 as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in 2013 to raise awareness of the devastating impact human trafficking has on women, men, and children and to promote survivors’ rights and human dignity. The international day is observed annually in the United States and throughout the world. There are nearly 25 …
Continue reading “Migration Chairman Calls for Prayers for Trafficking Survivors”
The mission of the Catholic Church is very different from the mission of political parties. The Church guards the deposit of faith and makes the truth of the Gospel shine forth to lead all people to seek and receive Christ’s love. There is no political party that is aligned to this mission and as a …
Acting on behalf of all bishops, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued the following statement in response to reports of increasing incidents of …
Continue reading “U.S. Bishops Condemn Acts of Vandalism, Destruction at Catholic Sites”
For about a week now, Bishop Gregory Parkes has been keeping a pontifical secret that he was finally able to share on Wednesday, July 8, when he posted on social media at around 6:00 a.m., “A day of great joy as my brother, Fr. Stephen Parkes, is appointed Bishop of Savannah by Pope Francis! Blessed …
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops thanks Governor Ron DeSantis for signing into law on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, SB 404, a bill that requires parental consent before a minor has an abortion. This common-sense measure simply holds abortion to the same consent requirements as most every other medical decision involving a child, including simple …
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection has released the 2019 Annual Report – Findings and Recommendations on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The report is based on the audit findings of StoneBridge Business Partners, a specialty consulting firm headquartered in Rochester, …
Continue reading “U.S. Bishops Secretariat For Child and Youth Protection Releases Annual Report”
Religious Freedom Week takes place from June 22 – 29 each year. It begins with the feast day of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, includes the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and ends with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. While the free exercise of religion has long been enshrined in our …
WASHINGTON — The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, provided a statement on the decision issued today by the Supreme Court of the United States – combining Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga., Altitude Express v. Zarda, and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal …
Four new members have been appointed to serve on the National Review Board (NRB) by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The NRB advises the bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and was established as part of the Charter for Protection …
On June 9, 2020, Pope Francis announced that Monsignor David Toups, 49, has been appointed a bishop and his first assignment will be bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont, Texas. He currently serves as Rector of the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida, a position he’s held since 2012. There will …
Continue reading “Pope Francis Appoints a Clearwater Priest to Serve as Bishop of Beaumont, Texas”
Queridos hermanos y hermanas de los Estados Unidos, sigo con gran preocupación los dolorosos desórdenes sociales que se están produciendo en vuestra nación en estos días, tras la trágica muerte del Sr. George Floyd. Queridos amigos, no podemos tolerar ni cerrar los ojos ante ningún tipo de racismo o exclusión y pretender defender la santidad …
Continue reading “Declaración del papa Francisco sobre la muerte trágica de George Floyd”
“Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd. My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend …
Continue reading “Pope Francis’ Statement on the Tragic Death of George Floyd”