Catholic News

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis was discharged from the hospital Saturday morning after a three-night stay in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Before departing by car, the pope greeted the crowd gathered outside of the hospital. In an emotional moment, he stopped to embrace and pray with a sobbing mother whose 5-year-old daughter died in the hospital the night before. When asked by a journalist how he was feeling, the pope quipped: “Still alive!” Pope Francis’ first stop before returning to Vatican City was to pray in the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he entrusted the sick children he met at the hospital as well as all who are sick and suffering from illnesses to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Francis was released from the hospital one day before the start of Holy Week.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254002/pope-francis-returns-to-the-vatican-after-3-days-in-the-hospital

Today the Church celebrates Saint Irene of Rome, the widow of the martyr Saint Castulus, a Roman military officer who was killed for spreading the Christian faith in 286. She lived in the Roman Empire during the reign of Diocletian, and died in 288. According to legend, she attended to the wounded Saint Sebastian after he was shot full of arrows, as depicted in a painting by artist Vicente López y Portaña.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-irene-729

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis is exhibiting “marked improvement” after being admitted to the hospital on Wednesday with difficulty breathing, which was later diagnosed as bronchitis. On Friday, the Vatican said that Pope Francis may be discharged from the hospital on Saturday after responding well to treatments yesterday and sharing a pizza dinner with those assisting him. “Pope Francis spent the afternoon at [Gemelli Hospital] devoting himself to rest, prayer, and some work duties,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni told reporters Thursday evening. “As part of scheduled clinical checks, the Holy Father was found to have a bronchitis infection that required the administration of antibiotic therapy through infusion, which produced the expected effects with a marked improvement in his state of health. Based on the expected course, the Holy Father could be discharged in the coming days.” This update comes after Bruni said mid-Thursday that the pope “rested well overnight” and that “the clinical picture is progressively improving.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253988/pope-francis-has-bronchitis-but-is-resting-and-improving-vatican-says

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253992/vatican-pope-francis-had-pizza-dinner-may-leave-hospital-tomorrow

The US and Canadian bishops released statements Thursday praising the Vatican’s repudiation of the “doctrine of discovery,” which has been used in the past to justify European colonialism in the Americas and throughout the world. The doctrine of discovery is a philosophical, political, and legal theory that posits that European colonizers have the right to expropriate indigenous lands and property. The theory has been said to have its origin in certain 15th-century papal bulls including Dum Diversas, Romanus Pontifex, and Inter Caetera, and has been invoked by many, including the US Supreme Court in the 1823 case Johnson v McIntosh. On Thursday, a joint statement of the Vatican’s Dicasteries for Culture and Education and for Promoting Integral Human Development formally denounced the doctrine of discovery, saying it “is not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church” and that the Church “repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of indigenous peoples.” Both the US and Canadian bishops echoed the Vatican’s sentiment expressed in the joint dicastery statement, saying though the Church has defended the rights of the weak and poor throughout history, “many Christians have committed evil acts against Indigenous peoples for which recent popes have asked forgiveness on numerous occasions.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253987/us-and-canadian-bishops-join-vatican-s-condemnation-of-colonialist-doctrine-of-discovery

An empty tabernacle that was bolted to the wall has been stolen from the residence of the late Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, who was murdered in his Hacienda Heights, California, home in February.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253985/tabernacle-stolen-from-murdered-bishop-david-o-connell-s-residence

Today the Church celebrates Blessed Jane of Toulouse, a 13th-century French woman known for her chastity and service to the poor, and who is considered to be the first member of the Carmelites’ third order, which is open to laypeople.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/bl-jane-of-toulouse-193

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis will be hospitalized for “some days” after being diagnosed with a respiratory infection, the Vatican said Wednesday. “In recent days Pope Francis has complained of some difficulty breathing and this afternoon went to [Gemelli Hospital] to carry out some medical tests. The results of these tests showed a respiratory infection (a COVID-19 infection was excluded) that will require some days of opportune medical treatment in the hospital,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said Wednesday evening. “Pope Francis is touched by the many messages he received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,” Bruni added. Bruni had issued a brief statement earlier in the afternoon of March 29 to say the pope was at Gemelli Hospital “for some previously scheduled checkups.”

Mid-day on Thursday, the Vatican spokesman said the pope rested well overnight. “This morning after having breakfast, [Pope Francis] read some newspapers and resumed work,” Bruni added. “Before lunch, he went to the chapel of his private apartment, where he spent time in prayer and received the Eucharist.”

Stay tuned to catholic news agency dot com for the latest on Pope Francis’ health.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253973/pope-francis-hospitalized-with-a-respiratory-infection-vatican-says

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253976/pope-francis-rested-well-doing-well-after-night-in-hospital-vatican-says

Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, an internationally-renowned expert in protecting children and vulnerable adults from clerical sex abuse, has resigned from his position on the Vatican’s safeguarding commission. The move was announced by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors on Wednesday. The 56-year-old Zollner, a founding member of the commission, said in a statement March 29 that “structural and practical issues” within the commission had led him “to disassociate” from it. In his statement, Zollner said he has “grown increasingly concerned” with the Vatican’s safeguarding commission and its lack of “responsibility, compliance, accountability, and transparency.” He also said there was a lack of transparency about decisions in the commission, including problems with “insufficient information and vague communication” with members on how particular decisions were made.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253968/abuse-expert-leaves-vatican-safeguarding-commission-over-structural-and-practical-issues

Forensic experts have identified a body found shot to death March 22 in Sinaloa state, Mexico, as that of José Noriel Portillo, alias “El Chueco,” who allegedly murdered two Jesuit priests and laymen last year. On June 22, 2022, in the Sierra Tarahumara, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, two laymen and Jesuit priests Javier Campos Morales and Joaquín César Mora Salazar were murdered in a church in the town of Cerocahui. Father Luis Gerardo Moro Madrid, superior of the Society of Jesus in Mexico, pointed out that the alleged murder of Portillo, who was allegedly responsible for the death of two Jesuit priests, is not a reason to celebrate, because it does not represent an act of justice but of barbarism and the failure of institutions.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253974/jesuits-in-mexico-issue-statement-on-the-death-of-alleged-murderer-of-two-priests

Today the Church celebrates Blessed Jane of Toulouse, a 13th-century French woman known for her chastity and service to the poor, and who is considered to be the first member of the Carmelites’ third order, which is open to laypeople.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/bl-jane-of-toulouse-193

A new poll of U.S. residents suggests that certain values such as religiosity and having children have receded in importance over the past 25 years, while people’s opinion of the importance of money increased during the same period. When asked about certain values and whether they consider them to be “very important,” 39% said “religion” was very important to them. By contrast, in 1998, 62% of respondents to the same question said religion was very important to them. The poll, released March 27, was conducted earlier this month by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago and funded by The Wall Street Journal. Faith was one of several indicators of more traditional values that the survey showed are less important to Americans than they were 25 years ago. The 2023 survey found that these values are less important than in 2019, the last time the survey was done.

An arrest has been made in the March 16 act of vandalism committed at a pro-life pregnancy center in Amherst, New York, the same clinic that was seriously damaged in an arson attack in June 2022.

Although perpetrators of last year’s act of vandalism at CompassCare Pregnancy Services still haven’t been brought to justice, 39-year-old Hannah Kamke has been arrested in connection with the recent crime. The word “liars” was spray-painted in red capital letters across the center’s sign at its 1230 Eggert Road location. Kamke is being charged with one count of criminal mischief in the third degree, which is a Class E felony, and holds a maximum penalty of up to four years’ imprisonment. The Saturday arrest of Kamke is only the third reported arrest in any of the at least 60 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers across the country since May 2022. The first two arrests came in January against two Floridians.

Today, the Church celebrates Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council who went to Pontius Pilate and asked for possession of the body of Jesus after his passion and death. After receiving this permission, Joseph had Jesus laid in a nearby tomb.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Nashville police fatally shot a school shooter on Monday after the suspect killed three students and three adult staff members at The Covenant School, a private Christian school for students in preschool through sixth grade. According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD), the shooter was a 28-year-old woman. The police believe the woman was a former student, the Associated Press reported, and said she was from the Nashville area. As of Monday evening, the police department has not yet released more information about a possible motive. Students who survived the attack were bused to Woodmont Baptist Church, where they could reunite with their parents.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253950/nashville-police-fatally-shoot-woman-who-killed-3-students-3-staff-at-christian-school

Pope Francis on Wednesday will bless a satellite that will launch his words into space on June 10. The “Spes Satelles,” Latin for “Satellites of Hope,” will be launched on a rocket taking off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. According to the Vatican, the miniaturized satellite will hold a copy of a book documenting the pope’s urbi et orbi blessing of March 27, 2020, when, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he blessed the world from Saint Peter’s Square with the words “Lord, may you bless the world, give health to our bodies, and comfort our hearts.” The book, “Why Are You Afraid? Have You No Faith? The World Facing the Pandemic,” has been converted into a nanobook, a 2-millimeter by 2-millimeter by 0.2-millimeter silicon plate, for transport to space. Pope Francis will bless the satellite and the nanobook after his weekly public audience in Saint Peter’s Square on March 29.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253946/pope-francis-to-bless-satellite-set-to-launch-his-words-into-space

A statewide New York Eucharistic Congress will take place October 20-22 at the shrine that marks the martyrdom site of three North American martyrs and the birthplace of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, a Native American saint known for her devotion to eucharistic adoration. The venue for the Eucharistic Congress is Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, New York, about a half-hour’s drive north of Albany. Though located in the Albany Diocese, the shrine is financially independent and operated by a nonprofit. Its facilities include a 10,000-seat stadium. The shrine, which overlooks the Mohawk River, is “one of the most sacred spots not just in the state of New York but in the United States,” the New York Eucharistic Congress website says. There is no cost to attend the event, but donations to defray the cost will be “gratefully accepted,” the website says. It also seeks financial sponsors.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253953/more-than-10000-expected-for-new-york-eucharistic-congress-in-october

Today, the Church celebrates pope Saint Sixtus the third. Not much is known about his history and youth, but we do know that he was born in Rome, Italy and ascended to the papacy in 432. As the 44th Pope, he approved the results of the Council of Ephesus and actively protested against the heresies of Nestorianism and Pelagianism. He restored many Roman basilicas and corresponded frequently with Saint Augustine of Hippo. He died on August 18 in the year 440 of natural causes.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-sixtus-iii-pope-190

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis on Sunday offered prayers for the victims of a deadly tornado that struck parts of Mississippi and Alabama Friday night. Cutting a swath of ruin across the impoverished Mississippi Delta, the tornado killed at least 26 people and left twisted piles of debris where homes, businesses, and neighborhoods once stood. The death toll is expected to rise, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) warned. Speaking after his weekly Angelus reflection in Saint Peter’s Square March 26, the pope included victims of the storm among those suffering around the world from war and natural disasters. “Let us continue to pray for the tormented Ukrainian people. And let us stay close also to the earthquake victims of Turkey and Syria,” he said. “Let us also pray for the population of the state of Mississippi, struck by a devastating tornado.” The loss of 25 people so far in Mississippi makes the March 24 twister the deadliest tornado in the state in at least 50 years, Mississippi’s Clarion Ledger reported. One man died in Alabama.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253942/pope-francis-mississippi-bishop-offer-prayers-for-victims-of-deadly-tornado

Pope Francis on Saturday decreed an updated version of Vos estis lux mundi, his landmark legislation to counter sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The decree promulgated March 25 extends the Church’s norms for handling of abuse to cover lay leaders of international associations of the faithful recognized by the Vatican. The document reaffirms an obligation to report cases of “vulnerable adult” victims of abuse, including violence against religious women by clerics and cases of harassment of adult seminarians or novices by a superior. It also includes protections for people who witness acts of abuse, in addition to those who submit reports of alleged abuse, stipulating that no “obligation of silence” may be imposed on those who report, witness, or are victims of abuse. Pope Francis first promulgated Vos estis lux mundi in May 2019 on an experimental basis for a period of three years.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253939/pope-francis-decrees-permanent-vos-estis-lux-mundi-legislation-to-counter-abuse

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Rupert, whose missionary labors built up the Church in two of its historic strongholds, Austria and Bavaria. During his lifetime, the “Apostle of Bavaria and Austria” was an energetic founder of churches and monasteries, and a remarkably successful evangelist of the regions – which include the homeland of the Bavarian native Pope Benedict XVI.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-rupert-420

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

The US bishops’ doctrine committee on Thursday issued a statement reiterating the Church’s preference for burial of the deceased and stating that newer methods — namely alkaline hydrolysis and human composting — do not show respect for the human body. The process of human composting — also known as natural organic reduction — is a relatively new phenomenon in the US and has been legalized in a handful of states, most recently California. When a body is composted, it is placed in a reusable container where microbes and bacteria decompose it into soil over the course of 30-45 days. Alkaline hydrolysis is a process whereby a human body is broken down in a tank of chemicals at high pressure and heat, resulting in a few bone fragments and a large quantity of wastewater. The Catholic Church teaches that one day, at the final resurrection, the souls of the dead will be reunited with their bodies. Catholics are “obliged to respect our bodily existence throughout our lives and to respect the bodies of the deceased when their earthly lives have come to an end. The way that we treat the bodies of our beloved dead must always bear witness to our faith in and our hope for what God has promised us,” the bishops wrote.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253922/human-composting-alkaline-hydrolysis-disrespect-the-human-body-us-catholic-bishops-say

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles will lead a six-mile eucharistic procession on Saturday through the city as part of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative of the U.S. bishops to renew Catholics’ devotion to Christ in the holy Eucharist. The March 25 procession will go from a historic Los Angeles mission church, three miles down a main road to another parish, and back. The day will begin with Mass at 8:30 am PT at the historic Mission San Gabriel, which held its first Mass in more than two years last September after suffering severe damage in an arson attack in mid-2020. Following the Mass, the procession will begin at 9:30. The faithful are invited to walk along with the procession after signing up online. The route will take the Eucharist through downtown Los Angeles to Saint Luke the Evangelist Church before returning to Mission San Gabriel for Benediction. The total route is about 6.5 miles, according to the archdiocese.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253924/archbishop-gomez-to-lead-6-mile-eucharistic-procession-through-los-angeles

Pope Francis on Thursday declared a priest, three religious sisters, and two laywomen as venerable servants of God, moving them each a step closer to canonization. “Venerable” is the title given to a candidate for sainthood whose cause has not yet reached the beatification stage but whose heroic virtue has been declared by the pope. Each now needs a miracle attributed to his or her intercession to be approved by the Vatican in order to be beatified. To read the stories of all the new venerables, visit catholic news agency dot com.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253923/pope-francis-puts-a-priest-three-religious-women-and-two-laywomen-on-path-for-sainthood

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Catherine of Sweden, who was born near the beginning of the fourteenth century to parents Ulfo and Saint Bridget of Sweden. Catherine served as an abbess, and during the final 25 years of her life, was known for her austere lifestyle and her practice of making daily use of the Sacrament of Confession.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-catherine-of-sweden-187

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis has invited Catholics to annually renew an act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25. The solemnity of the Annunciation on Saturday marks one year since Pope Francis consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Saint Peter’s Basilica with a prayer asking for peace in the world. At the end of his general audience on March 22, the pope recalled his historic act of consecration and called on parish communities and prayer groups to annually renew the Marian consecration. Pope Francis also urged people not to forget to pray for “martyred Ukraine, which is suffering so much.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253911/pope-francis-invites-catholics-to-renew-consecration-to-immaculate-heart-of-mary-on-march-25

A potential legal case against Pope Benedict XVI over his handling of abuse during his time as archbishop of Munich has been dropped. The accusations had been investigated in the wake of the Munich abuse report, which raised allegations that “there could be misconduct on the part of Church officials in positions of responsibility.” Cardinal Ratzinger, who would later become Pope Benedict XVI, served as archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982. The study criticized the late German pope’s handling of four cases during his time in charge of the southern German archdiocese. On Tuesday, the public prosecutor’s office said: “In each case, the investigations did not reveal sufficient suspicion of criminal activity on the part of those responsible for personnel, which is why the preliminary proceedings were discontinued.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253917/prosecutors-drop-case-of-alleged-cover-up-against-benedict-xvi

A coalition of conservative organizations is taking legal action to obtain documents from the Department of Justice related to the surge in pro-abortion attacks on churches and pro-life pregnancy centers and a lack of prosecution from the agency. A lawsuit led by the Heritage Foundation and Advancing American Freedom accuses the DOJ of failing to provide them with documents requested through the Freedom of Information Act. The documents requested include all records and internal DOJ communication related to crimes against pro-life pregnancy centers and churches. Based on data compiled by CNA, there have been more than 100 attacks on churches and pro-life pregnancy centers since the May 2022 leak of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health, which overturned the abortion protections guaranteed in Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey. The DOJ has failed to prosecute the perpetrators in nearly all of the attacks.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253915/heritage-sues-doj-for-info-on-attacks-of-churches-pro-life-groups

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo. The 16th century bishop upheld the rights of Peru's indigenous peoples, and became one of the first canonized saints of the Americas.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-turibius-de-mogrovejo-186

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Legislation that would end the statute of limitations for lawsuits against entities that are accused of negligence involving incidents of child sexual abuse overwhelmingly passed the Maryland Senate last week. The Maryland Catholic Conference criticized the bill for its unequal treatment of private groups. The legislation creates a different set of rules for public entities than it does for private entities. The legislation would fully eliminate the statute of limitations for a victim to file a lawsuit related to child sexual abuse against private and public entities. The proposed bill would cap the amount of money that victims could receive but at different levels, depending on whether the lawsuit is filed against a private or a public entity. A victim who sues a public entity, such as a public school, could be awarded up to $890,000, according to the proposed legislation. However, a victim who sues a private entity, such as a Catholic Church, could be awarded up to $1.5 million, which is nearly 70% more than public entities. The legislation would also be retroactive, which means victims could file lawsuits against entities even if the current statute of limitations has already passed.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253900/maryland-senate-passes-bill-to-end-statute-of-limitations-for-child-sex-abuse-lawsuits

The Vatican reported on Saturday that their diplomatic headquarters in Nicaragua was forced to close on March 17. On March 12, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it was considering suspending diplomatic relations with the Vatican. This occurred two days after an interview with Pope Francis was published in which he harshly criticized the regime of Daniel Ortega — where the Catholic Church is persecuted — and compared it to “the communist dictatorship of 1917 or the Hitler dictatorship of 1935.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253899/the-last-diplomat-from-the-vatican-leaves-nicaragua

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Nicholas of Flue. During his lifetime, the Swiss saint had 10 children, became a hermit and later prevented a civil war.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-nicholas-of-flue-184

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis heard confessions at a parish in Rome on Friday and encouraged people to remember that God “holds out his hand and lifts us up whenever we realize that we are ‘hitting rock bottom.’” In the presence of eucharistic adoration, the pope presided over a Lenten penitential service on March 17 to open “24 Hours for the Lord,” an initiative in which certain Catholic churches around the world will remain open 24 consecutive hours with round-the-clock confession and adoration. The pope underlined that God waits for us, especially in the sacrament of penance, where he said the Lord touches our wounds, heals our hearts, and leaves us with inner peace.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253886/pope-francis-hears-confessions-at-roman-parish-god-lifts-us-up-when-we-hit-rock-bottom

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Herbert, a saint about whom not much is known other than he was a Hermit of England and a good friend of Saint Cuthbert. Herbert was a priest, and lived as a recluse on an island in Lake Derwentwater, England which later became Saint Herbert’s in his honor. Herbert had asked to die on the same day as his dear friend Saint Cuthbert, and God granted Him the fulfillment of that desire.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-herbert-183