Catholic News

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Pope Francis has arrived in Kazakhstan for a brief visit to attend an interreligious meeting. The pope was welcomed by a delegation of civil and religious leaders, including President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. On Wednesday, the opening and plenary session of the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions will take place at the Palace of Independence. At the conference, Pope Francis will have the opportunity to meet with several Muslim leaders attending the congress, including representatives from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and across Central Asia.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252271/why-is-pope-francis-going-to-kazakhstan-here-s-what-he-plans-to-do

The prelate of Opus Dei, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, has asked the members of the Catholic institution for their prayers for the reform process ordered by Pope Francis, which took effect August 4. On July 22, the Vatican published the apostolic letter in the form of a motu proprio titled “Ad charisma tuendum” (To safeguard the charism), whereby Pope Francis ordered a reform of Opus Dei. Among the pope’s provisions are that the prelate who directs Opus Dei from now on will no longer be a bishop; the institution must adapt its statutes and present an annual report; and it will no longer answer to the dicastery for bishops but to the dicastery for the clergy. Opus Dei is a personal prelature, the only one in the Catholic Church. It was founded in Spain by Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer in 1928 and is present in 68 countries.

The overall head of the prelature is the prelate, who is appointed by the pope and who governs the institution as a jurisdiction, similar to a bishop who governs his diocese or assigned territory. In Opus Dei there are priests, celibate lay persons who are called numeraries and associates, and supernumeraries who are married members.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252270/opus-dei-s-prelate-asks-for-prayers-for-reform-ordered-by-pope-francis

Today, the Church celebrates Saint John Chrysostom, considered the greatest preacher in the history of the Church, and the most prominent Greek father of the Church. In 398 he was forcefully appointed Patriarch of Constantinople, and fast became very popular with his flock through his example of preaching and courage in front of the imperial power, whose corruption and decadence he never shirked from criticizing in public. Chrysostom's many writings, especially homilies and commentaries on the Gospels, still exist and have exerted great influence over the centuries.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-chrysostom-362

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Pope Francis in his Angelus address on Sunday honored an Italian missionary sister who was killed by Islamist terrorists in Mozambique. Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace on September 11, the pope said: “In this moment of prayer, it is dear to me to remember Sister Maria de Coppi, Combonian missionary, killed in Chipene, Mozambique, where she served with love for almost 60 years.” “May her witness give strength and courage to Christians and all the people of Mozambique.” Sister Maria de Coppi was shot and killed last week as terrorists ransacked and burned the Catholic mission where she served in Mozambique’s Diocese of Nacala. The Italian priests and sisters who served at the mission were able to evacuate 68 students who were living at the mission before the church, boarding houses, rectory, and school were destroyed in the five-hour attack on the night of September 6. Sister Maria was about to flee with the other missionaries when she turned back out of concern for the 12 female students who had stayed behind at the mission, according to the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252263/pope-francis-honors-nun-killed-by-islamist-terrorists-in-mozambique

A new report from the Religious Freedom Institute quantifies and analyzes the many reported incidents of violence against pro-life people and entities since May and offers recommendations for government officials on how to respond. The RFI concluded that conditions remain in place for more attacks against pro-life entities and people to occur in 2022 and into 2023. According to data compiled by CNA, at least 32 Catholic churches in the United States have been vandalized with a clear pro-abortion motive since the May leak, along with at least 50 pro-life pregnancy centers. Taking a broader view, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has tracked some 164 total attacks against Catholic entities across 37 states and the District of Columbia since May 2020. The report recommends that pro-life organizations devote more resources to security and security training for staff and volunteers, invest in relationships with law enforcement agencies, and step up their insurance.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252249/report-assesses-threats-to-religious-pro-life-americans-following-overturn-of-roe-v-wade

The political group CatholicVote is inviting Christians nationwide to pray a novena asking for Saint Michael’s intercession amid the growing number of attacks targeting churches and pro-life pregnancy centers in the United States. The novena will begin on September 20 and conclude on September 29, the feast of the archangels. Catholics who “pledge to pray” online will receive access to the novena prayers and an email reminder each day to pray.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252258/catholicvote-to-hold-saint-michael-novena-in-defense-of-churches-pregnancy-centers

Today, the Church celebrates Blessed Apollinaris Franco, a Spanish Franciscan who evangelized covertly in Japan in the 17th century and was burned at the stake by authorities in Nagasaki.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-apollinaris-franco-592

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Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, England, offered prayers on Thursday for Queen Elizabeth II, who is reportedly under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with multiple family members traveling to be by her side. The 96-year-old British monarch has been on a summer break at her Scottish home since July, the BBC reported. As of Thursday afternoon, all the queen’s children were traveling to or had arrived at the castle. Since her reign began in 1952, Queen Elizabeth has met five popes. In 2010, she welcomed then Pope Benedict XVI to the UK, the first state visit of a pope to the country. Saint John Paul II had visited the UK and met with the queen in 1982, but his was a pastoral rather than a state visit.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252239/cardinal-nichols-prays-for-queen-elizabeth-ii-amid-concerns-about-her-health

A statue of Our Lady of Fatima, stolen from Catholic church in New Jersey last week has been recovered and an arrest has been made. The statue was stolen from Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Gibbsboro, New Jersey on August 30. Monsignor Louis Marucci, the pastor, said that he was praying that it would be returned before today, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the day on which the parish always holds a litany of prayers from sunup to sundown in honor of Mary. A 64 year old suspect has been charged with the theft. Marucci praised the police for their efforts in finding the suspect. He also said that the parish’s security system and cameras were instrumental in capturing footage of the suspect in that act.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252233/our-lady-of-fatima-statue-stolen-from-catholic-church-in-nj-found-arrest-made

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne. The circumstances of the Virgin Mary's infancy and early life are not directly recorded in the Bible, but other documents and traditions describing the circumstances of her birth are cited by some of the earliest Christian writers from the first centuries of the Church.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-birth-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-357

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Pope Francis beatified John Paul I, who reigned as pope for only 33 days, amid a thunderstorm in Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday. In his homily for the rainy beatification Mass on September 4, Pope Francis said that John Paul I “embodied the poverty of a disciple” through his “victory over the temptation to put oneself at the center, to seek one’s own glory.” Often called “the smiling pope,” John Paul I died unexpectedly on September 28, 1978, a month after the conclave that elected him. In one of the shortest pontificates in papal history, John Paul I gained a reputation for his humility and his dedication to teaching the faith in an understandable manner.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252206/pope-francis-beatifies-john-paul-i-pope-for-33-days

With the next World Youth Day less than a year away, Pope Francis has promised that a pope will be in attendance, but joked that it may be “Pope John the 24th.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252209/pope-francis-jokes-that-either-he-or-john-xxiv-will-attend-world-youth-day-next-year

In their message for Labor Day, the US bishops have urged the passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act as a means of building a just economy for women and families. “There is currently no federal law requiring employers to provide short-term, reasonable accommodations to pregnant women in the workplace and the PWFA would do so,”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252194/us-bishops-urge-senate-to-pass-protections-for-working-moms-in-labor-day-message

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Teresa of Calcutta, also known as Mother Teresa. She was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. The youngest of three children, she attended a youth group run by a Jesuit priest called Sodality, which eventually opened her to the call of service as a missionary nun. She joined the Sisters of Loretto at age 17 and was sent to Calcutta, where she taught at a high school. After contracting tuberculosis, she was sent to rest in Darjeeling, and it was on the way that she felt what she called "an order" from God to leave the convent and live among the poor. The Vatican granted her permission to leave the Sisters of Loretto and to live her new call under the guidance of the Archbishop of Calcutta.After she left her convent, Mother Teresa began working in the slums, teaching poor children, and treating the sick in their homes. A year later, some of her former students joined her, and together they took in men, women and children who were dying in the gutters along the streets. In 1950, the Missionaries of Charity were born as a congregation of the Diocese of Calcutta. In 1952, the government granted them a house from which to continue their mission of serving Calcutta's poor and forgotten. The congregation quickly grew from a single house for the dying and unwanted to nearly 500 houses around the world. Mother Teresa set up homes for prostitutes, battered women, orphanages for poor children and houses for those suffering from AIDS. She was a fierce defender of the unborn, and is known to have said, "If you hear of some woman who does not want to keep her child and wants to have an abortion, try to persuade her to bring him to me. I will love that child, seeing in him the sign of God's love." She died on September 5, 1997, and was beatified just six years later by Saint John Paul II October 19, 2003.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-teresa-of-kolkata-585

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Pope John Paul the first will be beatified this Saturday. Venerable John Paul I was born Albino Luciani on October 17, 1912 in the town of Canale d'Argordo in northern Italy’s Belluno province. He was the most recent pope to be born in Italy and the first pope to be born in the twentieth century. He was elected to the papacy on August 26, 1978. He would be dead just a month later. Though his time as Roman Pontiff was brief, he had such an impact that some Catholics have sought his intercession as a saint. The photogenic smile of the pope helped cement his reputation and his nickname, the Smiling Pope. John Paul I was pope for 33 days, from August 26 to September 28, 1978. His 33-day pontificate was the 10th shortest in history. The last pope to have such a brief pontificate was Leo XI, whose pontificate lasted 27 days in April 1605.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252191/nine-things-to-know-about-john-paul-i

Today, the Church celebrates the September Martyrs, a group of 191 faithful Christians who were martyred at the hands of the French Revolution on September 2 and 3, 1792. After refusing to take an oath in support of the civil consititution of the clergy, an act condemned by the Vatican which placed Catholic priests under the authority and control of the state, these priests and religious brothers and sisters were imprisoned in a Carmelite convent and then massacred in the space of two days by revolutionary mobs. They were beatified on October 17, 1926 by Pope Pius XI.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/martyrs-of-september-582

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An American religious sister ministering in Burkina Faso who was kidnapped in April is free and safe after nearly five months of captivity, according to her congregation and the local diocese. Suellen Tennyson, 83, a New Orleans native, has served at a missionary outpost in northern Burkina Faso since 2014. She was abducted by unidentified armed men on April 5 from the small home she shared with two other members of her congregation, the Marianites of Holy Cross. Reportedly abducted without shoes, she also left behind her glasses and blood pressure medication. Sister Ann Lacour, the current Marianite congregational leader, confirmed August 30 that Tennyson is now safe and in the hands of US authorities. The FBI had issued a missing person notice for the sister, but until this week there had been no news of her location or condition. Tennyson is a former international leader of her congregation who was moved to start a missionary outpost in Burkina Faso after a 2011 visit to the country. Her congregation requested continued prayers for Tennyson’s recovery, as well as privacy until she is ready to speak publicly about her ordeal.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252176/abducted-american-religious-sister-freed-in-burkina-faso

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled Wednesday upholding the dismissal of a Catholic school teacher who had contracted a same-sex marriage. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis commented that the court had “unanimously protected the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’ right to ensure students and families receive an authentic Catholic education.” The lawsuit against the archdiocese was filed by Joshua Payne-Elliott, a former teacher at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. In 2017, Payne-Elliott entered a same-sex marriage with another Catholic school teacher in the archdiocese, Layton Payne-Elliott. Archdiocesan policy states that Catholic schools must clearly state in their contracts and job descriptions that teachers must uphold and support the teachings of the Church in their lives.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252178/indiana-supreme-court-backs-archdiocese-in-religious-freedom-case

Former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev’s death on Tuesday revived shaky rumors that the last head of the communist and officially atheist Soviet Union was a Christian convert. While Gorbachev had been more friendly to religion than most of his predecessors, in March 2008 Gorbachev had to dispel claims he had become a Christian, saying that he has been and remains an atheist. Gorbachev and his wife Raisa had been baptized Christians in the Russian Orthodox Church, the two said in 1989, but they depicted this as part of normal family custom at the time of their births. They did not baptize their daughter.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252180/mikhail-gorbachev-s-death-revives-unfounded-rumors-of-christian-conversion

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Beatrice da Silva Meneses, a 15th century Portuguese noblewoman who founded the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-beatrice-da-silva-meneses-581

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The Holy See said Pope Francis’ recent comments on a car bombing that killed the daughter of an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be interpreted as a “political stance.”

In a statement released Aug. 30, the Vatican also called the Russia-Ukraine conflict a “large-scale war in Ukraine, initiated by the Russian Federation.” Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some of Pope Francis’ comments have come under criticism, including a statement he made in an interview in June that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine was “perhaps somehow provoked.” He was also rebuked by Ukraine’s Vatican Ambassador last week for his characterization of the August 20 death of Darya Dugina, a 29-year-old journalist and political commentator known for her support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Dugina was the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, a Russian political thinker believed to be close to Putin. The Holy See’s unsigned communication said Pope Francis has made “numerous speeches” on the Ukraine War “mostly aimed at inviting pastors and the faithful to prayer, and all people of goodwill to solidarity and efforts to rebuild peace.” “It is reiterated that the Holy Father’s words on this tragic issue should be read as a voice raised in defense of human life and the values attached to it, and not as taking a political stance,” the Holy See said. The Vatican’s statement appeared to refer in part to criticism over Pope Francis’ August 24 appeal for an end to the war in Ukraine, in which he referenced Dugina’s death. “I think of that poor girl blown up by a bomb under her car seat in Moscow. The innocent pay for war, the innocent! Let us think about this reality and say to each other: war is madness,” Francis said at the end of his general audience. Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, criticized Francis’ remarks on Twitter, writing that the speech “was disappointing” and conflated the categories of “aggressor and victim.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252154/vatican-pope-francis-ukraine-war-comments-not-a-political-stance

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Jeanne Jugan, also known as Sister Mary of the Cross. During the 19th century, she founded the Little Sisters of the Poor with the goal of imitating Christ's humility through service to elderly people in need.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-jeanne-jugan-707

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Pope Francis created 20 new cardinals for the Catholic Church during a liturgy in Saint Peter's Basilica on Saturday. “Jesus calls us by name; he looks us in the eye and he asks: Can I count on you?” Pope Francis said in a homily addressed to the College of Cardinals and its new members on August 27. “The Lord,” he said, “wants to bestow on us his own apostolic courage, his zeal for the salvation of every human being, without exception. He wants to share with us his magnanimity, his boundless and unconditional love, for his heart is afire with the mercy of the Father.” During the ceremony, the new cardinals made a profession of faith by reciting the Creed. They then pronounced an oath of fidelity and obedience to the pope and his successors. Each cardinal then approached Pope Francis, kneeling before him to receive the red birretta, the cardinal's ring, and a document naming the titular church he has been assigned. Pope Francis embraced each new cardinal, saying to him: “Pax Domini sit semper tecum,” which is Latin for “the peace of the Lord be with you always.” Each cardinal responded: “Amen.”

catholicnewsagency.com/news/252141/jesus-asks-us-can-i-count-on-you-pope-francis-creates-20-cardinals-for-the-catholic-church

Pope Francis became the first pope in 728 years to open the Holy Door of a 13th-century basilica in L’Aquila, Italy, on Sunday. During a visit to the Italian city located about 70 miles northeast of Rome on Aug. 28, the pope participated in a centuries-old tradition, the Celestinian Forgiveness, known in Italian as the Perdonanza Celestiniana. The opening of the Holy Door marked a key moment in the annual celebration established by Pope Celestine V in 1294. In his brief Angelus message, the pope offered a prayer for the people of Pakistan, where flash floods have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced thousands more.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252145/pope-francis-becomes-first-pope-in-more-than-700-years-to-open-the-holy-door-in-l-aquila

Today, the Church commemorates the beheading of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. As an adult, he lived as a hermit in the wilderness. After the Spirit inspired him, he went about preaching that the people should repent of their sins and be baptized in order to prepare for the Messiah. Herod imprisoned John because he had condemned Herod for committing adultery by living with his brother's wife, Herodias. At he celebration for Herod on his birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for him, and Herod was so impressed that he said he would offer her anything she liked. She consulted with Herodias who told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod did not want to kill John for fear or what his follwers might do, but because of his promise to the girl he could not refuse, and so John was beheaded.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-beheading-of-john-the-baptist-578

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In response to a question from EWTN, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the Biden administration condemns recent attacks on democratic leaders in Nicaragua, without specifically mentioning those targeting priests and other Catholic leaders. Since 2018, under the Ortega dictatorship, there have been more than 190 attacks against the Catholic Church, its bishops, priests, faithful, and houses of worship, Catholic officials in Nicaragua have said. Both the current and former White House administrations have condemned Ortega for these acts.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252126/white-house-press-secretary-responds-to-ewtn-s-question-about-nicaraguan-persecution-of-catholics

Catholic bishops from two US dioceses have issued policies that would prohibit Catholic schools from promoting a view of sexual identity that contradicts Church teaching. Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, Nebraska, and Bishop Donald DeGrood of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, join several other dioceses that have implemented such policies as discussions over the use of pronouns have taken up debate in the public square. The Archdiocese of Omaha’s policy requires all students, parents, guardians, employees, and volunteers to “act toward a person in accordance with his or her biological sex at birth.” Students are required to use bathrooms and locker rooms “that correspond with their biological sex” and may not attend school-sponsored dances with a date of the same sex. Failure to abide by the policy can result in possible termination for employees and possible dismissal for the student. In addition, students’ eligibility to participate in sports is based on their biological sex, the policy states. The policy does not deny school admission to those experiencing gender dysphoria, as long as the student and parents agree to abide by school policies. “Behaviors of a student that cause disruption or confusion regarding the Church’s teaching on human sexuality are prohibited,” according to the guidelines.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252121/omaha-sioux-falls-bishops-adopt-policies-affirming-students-biological-sex

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Jeanne Elizabeth des Bichier des Anges. Born in 18th century France, she was the founder of the Daughters of the Cross.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-jeanne-elizabeth-des-bichier-des-anges-346

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A team of archaeologists uncovered new evidence this month about location of the house of Saint Peter. While excavating a fifth-sixth century Byzantine basilica at the el Araj archaeological site located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel, the team discovered a large Greek mosaic that seems to bolster the theory that the church was built over the home of Saints Peter and Andrew. The mosaic is inscribed with a petition that asks for the intercession of Saint Peter, who is referred to as “the chief and commander of the heavenly apostles.” The next excavation will take place in October. The team will complete the cleaning of the church, and hopes to uncover more inscriptions.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252110/st-peter-s-house-believed-found-shore-sea-of-galilee

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow will not attend an interreligious summit in Kazakhstan in September, where it was hoped he would meet with Pope Francis to discuss a peaceful resolution to the six-month-long war in Ukraine. Pope Francis will travel to Kazakhstan for the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in the city of Nur-Sultan on September 13th to 15th. There had been speculation that the two religious leaders — who met in Havana, Cuba, in 2016 — might meet in person, possibly in Jerusalem, to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Kirill has publicly supported. The Vatican has said it stands ready to mediate peace talks between the two countries.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252118/patriarch-kirill-will-not-meet-pope-francis-in-kazakhstan

Less than a week after abducting the bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, Rolando Álvarez, the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua has silenced another Catholic radio station. Radio Stereo Fe of the Diocese of Estelí lamented August 24 on Facebook that “almost 28 years of radio evangelization on FM have ended today.” The reason used by the telecommunications regulatory agency of the Ortega dictatorship “is that the radio station is functioning with the license in the name of Father Francisco Valdivia,” a deceased priest, “and that the new director doesn’t have any permission.” The closure of the radio station took place just one day after the priests of the Diocese of Estelí released a statement calling on the authorities of the dictatorial regime of Ortega to convert, to allow them to work in peace, and to release Álvarez.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252114/daniel-ortega-regime-shuts-down-another-catholic-radio-station-in-nicaragua

Shortly after Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma denied clemency to death row inmate James Coddington on Wednesday, the Archbishop of Oklahoma City encouraged the state not to resort to the death penalty. Archbishop Paul Coakley urged prayer for an end to the death penalty and “that our leaders may have the wisdom and compassion to recognize the humanity in every person, regardless of their state in life.” The Diocese of Tulsa plans to hold a prayer vigil outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252113/oklahoma-city-archbishop-disappointed-by-denial-of-clemency-to-death-row-inmate

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Louis. As the king of France, his biographers have written of the long hours he spent in prayer, fasting, and penance, without the knowledge of his people. King Louis was renowned for his charity. Beggars were fed from his table, he washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. Saint Louis was also a patron of architecture. He died of the plague near Tunis during the Second Crusade.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-louis-ix-of-france-570