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Pope Francis used a wheelchair during a public meeting on Thursday, the first time he has done so publicly since leaving the hospital after colon surgery in July 2021. The 85-year-old pope has had difficulty walking due to a painful torn ligament in his knee. During his recent public appearances, he has apologized for being unable to stand and walk to greet participants. Pope Francis said in an interview this week that he would be undergoing a small medical procedure to provide some relief.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251148/pope-francis-uses-wheelchair-in-public-for-first-time-since-colon-surgery

A Catholic parish church in Boulder, Colorado was defaced with pro-abortion slogans the evening of May 3, marking the second time in less than a year that the parish has been targeted with pro-abortion graffiti. The incident at Sacred Heart of Mary Parish coincides with the revelation May 2 of a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, suggesting that the court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, which would allow states to curtail or outlaw abortion. The Boulder County sheriff’s office was called to investigate the incident.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251145/colorado-parish-defaced-with-pro-abortion-graffiti-for-second-time-in-seven-months

Pro-life activists offered a $25,000 reward Wednesday to anyone who comes forward with information about illegal activity by Washington, DC, abortionist Dr. Cesare Santangelo. The offer comes a month after activists associated with the anti-abortion group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising claimed that they discovered the remains of 115 aborted babies outside the clinic that Santangelo operates. Five of the babies, who appear to be of late-term gestation, were located by the Metropolitan Police Department on March 30. PAAU says it arranged for the DC police to collect and examine the babies, fearing that the babies’ injuries could be evidence of illegal abortions. But DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has given no indication that the city intends to autopsy the remains.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251146/pro-life-activists-offer-dollar-25k-for-information-about-dc-abortion-doctor

Today the Church celebrates Blessed Edmund Rice, an Irish businessman who was so moved by the plight of children in the port city where he worked that he founded schools and eventually a religious order to serve them.

The Church also celebrates Saint Hilary of Arles, a fifth-century bishop who gave up wealth and privilege in favor of austerity and sacrifice for the sake of the Church.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-edmund-rice-467

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-hilary-of-arles-701

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Pope Francis had a medical procedure done on his knee on Tuesday, according to Italian media reports. A Vatican spokesman said that from what he understood about the procedure, “it’s basically an injection.” Pope Francis has been suffering from an inflamed ligament, causing pain in his right knee and leg. He said on April 30 that his doctor had ordered him not to walk.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251117/pope-francis-to-undergo-medical-procedure-for-torn-ligament-in-knee

President Joe Biden asserted Tuesday that no “mainstream” religion claims to know when human life begins, contradicting his Catholic faith. Biden made the statement while addressing a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion signaling that justices will overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide in 1973. The Catholic Church teaches that life begins at conception. The president, who identifies as Catholic, supports abortion, which the Catholic Church teaches is a grave evil that destroys a human person with inherent dignity and worth. Biden also referred in his remarks to the baby in the womb as a "child," a term abortion supporters generally avoid.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251129/roe-wade-biden-when-life-begins-abortion

US Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday confirmed the authenticity of a leaked preliminary draft opinion in a pivotal abortion case, and ordered an immediate investigation in what he called a "betrayal of the confidences" of the Supreme Court. The news organization Politico published the 98-page document, written by conservative justice Samuel Alito and calling for the overturning of the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, on Monday night. In a statement released late Tuesday morning, Roberts said he has directed the Marshal of the Court "to launch an investigation into the source of the leak."

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251125/roe-v-wade-chief-justice-roberts-leak-investigation

A pioneer of faith-based feminism and a Catholic priest who ministered tirelessly during the Second World War were beatified at Milan Cathedral over the weekend. Armida Barelli and Father Mario Ciceri are now among those whom the Catholic Church has officially declared “blessed.” Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided over the solemn rite of beatification on April 30 with more than 100 priests concelebrating and 1,800 people in attendance. Both new blesseds were involved in the Catholic Action youth group in Italy.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251126/armida-barelli-and-mario-ciceri-beatified-together-in-italy

Today the Church celebrates The English Carthusian Martyrs, who were put to death in England under King Henry VIII between 1535-1540 for maintaining their allegiance to the Pope. The Church also celebrates Saint Pelagia, a woman in pagan Rome who sought baptism and ran afoul of the Emperor Diocletian as a result. Pelagia ran from home, giving away all of her possessions and setting her slaves free, and lived as a hermit within the mountains until her death a few years later.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-pelagia-484

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The US Supreme Court will vote to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide, according to draft opinion cited in a news report released Monday evening. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives," Associate Justice Samuel Alito writes in the purported 98-page draft document, obtained by Politico, which is labeled as the “Opinion of the Court.” CNA has not been able to independently verify if the draft opinion shared by Politico is genuine, and the court’s decision will not be final until it is published, likely to happen by the end of June. If the decision holds, more than a dozen states will immediately outlaw abortion. This is a developing story and will be updated on catholic news agency dot com.

Today the Church celebrates Saints Phillip and James the Lesser, both apostles of Jesus. Phillip began to convert others as soon as he heard Jesus’ call. James the Lesser has that title because he was younger than the other Apostle by the same name. James the Lesser was related in some way to Jesus, and after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, he became the head of the Church in Jerusalem. He was martyred in the year 62.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-philip-and-james-the-less-apostles-473

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Due to an ongoing struggle with knee pain, Pope Francis on Monday met a group of Catholic pharmacists at his Vatican residence, instead of the apostolic palace. The 85 year old pope has been suffering from an inflamed ligament, causing pain in his right knee and leg. He said on April 30 that his doctor has ordered him not to walk. During some recent public audiences and liturgies, Francis has taken a smaller role or spent more time seated.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251107/pope-francis-moves-meeting-to-vatican-home-because-of-painful-knee

Pope Francis has again lamented the suffering caused by the invasion of Ukraine and encouraged the faithful to pray a rosary every day for peace. Speaking to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square after the May 1 Regina Caeli prayers, the pope said his thoughts went immediately to the city of Mariupol, the “city of Mary” which he said has been “barbarously bombed and destroyed.” He again called for safe humanitarian corridors for those trapped in the city, now largely under Russian control. Up to 100,000 people could still be in the blockaded city.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251104/pope-francis-weeps-at-ukraine-suffering-calls-for-daily-rosary-for-peace

Pope Francis on Sunday accepted the resignation of Bishop Paul Hinder, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia. Hinder, who is originally from Switzerland, turned 80 years old last month, after leading the Catholic Church on the Arabian peninsula for 17 years. To succeed Hinder, Pope Francis on May 1 appointed Bishop Paolo Martinelli, an Italian priest and Capuchin friar who has been an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Milan since 2014. The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia serves approximately 1 million Catholics, and has its seat in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Many of the Catholics in southern Arabia are migrant workers from India, Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines, though some are local Arabs.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251105/bishop-paul-hinder-apostolic-vicar-of-southern-arabia-retires

Today the Church celebrates Saint Athanasius, the fourth century bishop who is known as “the father of orthodoxy” for his absolute dedication to the doctrine of Christ's divinity.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-catherine-of-siena-451

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Pope Francis has asked the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to produce an annual report on what the Catholic Church is doing around the world to prevent the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. In an audience at the Vatican on April 29, the pope called on the commission to produce the annual audit to promote “transparency and accountability.” Father Andrew Small, the secretary of the commission, responded positively to the pope’s request for the report at a press conference following the papal audience. The commission’s report will not deal with specific cases, but will provide details on the status of safeguarding policies and procedures, according to Small. This will include how effectively guidelines are being implemented.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251094/pope-francis-asks-for-annual-report-on-church-s-efforts-to-prevent-abuse

A Catholic doctor has been providing medical care to some 1 million people in the Nuba mountains, a contested region between Sudan and South Sudan. After the military staged a coup in Sudan six months ago, the country remains in political and economic turmoil. Its neighbor, South Sudan, faces severe food shortages and a rise in violence. Doctor Tom Catena, who works as a lay missionary and medical director of the Mother of Mercy Hospital, says that people from outside the region are now traveling to the rural hospital for care. The doctor discussed how many of their patients who come from the north are Muslims who have never had exposure to Christianity.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251086/this-catholic-doctor-provides-care-for-1-million-people-in-sudan-south-sudan

The European Court of Human Rights ruled this week that Swiss authorities were wrong to reject a Pakistani Christian convert’s asylum claim. The court in Strasbourg, France, said on April 26 that the expulsion of the applicant, identified only as M A M, to Pakistan would violate the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to life and prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. M A M is a Pakistani national who converted from Islam to Christianity after he arrived in Switzerland in 2015. His asylum application was rejected in 2018. The court said that Swiss officials should have examined his request, which was based on his conversion, in greater detail and taken into account the overall situation of Christian converts in Pakistan as well as the applicant’s specific circumstances.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251092/european-court-sides-with-pakistani-christian-convert

Today the Church celebrates Saint Catherine of Siena, a third-order Dominican, peacemaker, and counselor to the Pope. She singlehandedly ended the Avignon exile of the popes in the 14th century. She is the co-patron of Italy and of Europe.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-catherine-of-siena-451

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Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Bishop Mark O’Toole to lead two Catholic dioceses in Wales. O’Toole, the 58-year-old bishop of Plymouth, southwest England, will oversee both the Archdiocese of Cardiff and the Diocese of Menevia. The 58 year old Englishman said he looks forward to “steeping myself in the historical reality and diverse experience of the two dioceses, as we work more closely together.” The latest dual appointment suggests a trend in northern Europe of uniting dioceses under a single bishop without merging

them.https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251075/pope-francis-names-new-archbishop-to-lead-two-catholic-dioceses-in-wales

Spanish Cardinal Carlos Amigo Vallejo, an advocate for dialogue between Christians, Muslims, and Jews, died on Wednesday at the age of 87. The archbishop emeritus of Seville died from heart failure at the University Hospital of Guadalajara, Spain, after his health declined following an April 25 operation to remove fluid from his left lung.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251076/spanish-cardinal-carlos-amigo-dies-at-age-87-after-lung-surgery

A federal court on Tuesday ordered a lower court to dismiss all legal challenges brought against the enforcement mechanism of a Texas abortion law, a move which a pro-life group called a “substantial pro-life victory.” The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on April 26 remanded the case, brought by a number of abortion providers and pro-abortion organizations, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, with instructions to dismiss all challenges to the private enforcement provisions of the Texas Heartbeat Act. The Act, in effect since September 2021, bans abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat except in medical emergencies, and relies on private lawsuits filed by citizens to enforce the ban.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251079/federal-court-orders-cases-brought-against-texas-pro-life-law-dismissed

Today the Church celebrates Saint Louis-Marie de Monfort, a 17th century saint who is revered for his intense devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Louis-Marie is perhaps most famously known for his prayer of entrustment to Our Lady, “Totus Tuus ego sum,” which means, “I am all yours.” Pope Saint John Paul II took the phrase “Totus Tuus” as his episcopal motto.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-louis-marie-grignion-de-montfort-450

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Pope Francis urged Catholics on Wednesday to rediscover the Book of Ruth, the Old Testament Bible book which he said offers “valuable teaching on the alliance of the generations.” In his general audience address on April 27, the pope praised the book’s positive depiction of relations between a woman and her mother-in-law. The pope was speaking for the second time this week about the Book of Ruth. On Monday, he reflected on the four-chapter book in the Hebrew Bible in an address to Missionaries of Mercy.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251074/pope-francis-wants-catholics-to-rediscover-this-book-of-the-bible

Pope Francis on Tuesday changed canon law to update on the rules for dismissal from religious institutes. The new line in canon law is now consistent with the major revisions made last year to Book 6 of the code’s penal law, which classified some crimes differently, including those related to sexual abuse, and introduced new crimes, such as those related to economic and financial matters.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251065/pope-francis-updates-canon-law-on-dismissal-from-religious-institutes

The Texas bishops' conference expressed gratitude Monday that a state court halted the execution of Melissa Lucio over claims she was wrongfully convicted for the death of her child. Lucio was sentenced to death in 2008 for the February 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez, though her lawyers argue the death was accidental. Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville said April 25 that “Our best hope is to continue in our efforts as a community to make this a less violent, more peaceful world. This requires that we continue to foster a sense of justice that does not include the taking of more lives. Let us pray and work for an end to the death penalty.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251066/bishops-in-texas-welcome-stay-of-execution-for-woman-on-death-row

Today the Church celebrates Saint Zita of Lucca, a 13th century Italian woman whose humble and patient service to God has made her a patron saint of maids and other domestic workers.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-zita-of-lucca-446

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Pope Francis urged Sri Lankan authorities on Monday to clarify who was responsible for the bombings that claimed more than 200 lives on Easter Sunday, 2019. The pope made the appeal in an April 25 address to Italy’s Sri Lankan community in St. Peter’s Basilica marking the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Eight suicide bombers targeted two Catholic churches, one evangelical church, three luxury hotels, and other locations on April 19, 2019, killing an estimated 269 people and injuring more than 500. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, suggested last month that there was evidence that Sri Lankan officials ignored warnings of the attack.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251054/pope-francis-urges-sri-lanka-s-authorities-to-shed-light-on-2019-easter-bombings

Pope Francis canceled his engagements on Tuesday due to ongoing knee pain. The 85 year old pope has been suffering from pain in his right knee, causing him to take smaller roles in some liturgies and to remain seated more often. His agenda was cleared on April 22 for medical checkups, and he preached at, but did not preside over, Mass for the Octave Day of Easter on April 24. The pope’s movements have been visibly more limited since the start of the year.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251063/pope-francis-cancels-day-s-activities-due-to-knee-pain-says-vatican

Pope Francis on Tuesday named Archbishop Laurent Ulrich as the new Catholic archbishop of Paris. Ulrich, the archbishop of Lille, northern France, succeeds Archbishop Michel Aupetit, who resigned in December. Among the challenges facing the 70-year-old archbishop will be to heal the divisions exposed in the Paris archdiocese during Aupetit’s tenure from 2017 to 2021. He will also oversee the restoration of the interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral following a devastating fire in 2019. The cathedral is expected to reopen for worship on April 16, 2024, five years after the blaze.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251050/pope-francis-names-new-catholic-archbishop-of-paris

A Catholic priest was among four people sentenced on Monday over the shooting of a bishop-elect in South Sudan. A judge at the high court in the capital Juba issued the sentences on April 25 after Father John Mathiang Machol, Moris Sebit Ater, Laat Makur Agok, and Samuel Makir were found guilty of “participating directly or indirectly” in the attempted assassination of the now Bishop Christian Carlassare of Rumbek. Father Mathiang was given a seven-year jail term in connection with the attack on the Italian-born Carlassare, who was shot in both legs on April 26, 2021.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251062/catholic-priest-among-4-sentenced-in-shooting-of-south-sudan-bishop-elect

Abortions have resumed in Kentucky after a federal judge temporarily blocked a multi-faceted abortion restrictions law and said the state needs to do more to ensure those affected by it can comply.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251058/federal-judge-blocks-kentucky-abortion-law-citing-compliance-problems

Today the Church celebrates Our Lady of Good Counsel, a purportedly miraculous image of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus which appeared in an Italian church in the 15th century. Countless miracles have been attributed to the prayerful intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/our-lady-of-good-counsel-445

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A 72-year-old religious sister has been praised for her “extraordinary courage” after she sought to disarm a man stabbing a priest at a Catholic church in Nice, southeastern France. Sister Marie-Claude reportedly intervened after a 31-year-old man entered the Saint-Pierre d’Arene church before Sunday Mass on April 24 and repeatedly stabbed Father Krzysztof Rudziński. She received a wound to the forearm and was taken to a hospital along with the 57-year-old priest. The Diocese of Nice said in an April 24 statement that neither the sister nor the priest suffered life-threatening injuries in the incident, which police said was not related to terrorism.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251051/extraordinary-courage-nun-intervenes-to-stop-man-stabbing-catholic-priest-in-france

In an Easter message to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Pope Francis expressed hope that the Holy Spirit would “make us true peacemakers, especially for war-torn Ukraine.” Catholic bishops across Europe have appealed to Kirill — who is considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin — to speak out against the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Pope Francis announced last week that the Vatican had canceled plans for a June summit with Patriarch Kirill in Jerusalem. It would have been the second meeting between the two leaders since their historic encounter in Cuba in 2016.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251052/pope-francis-to-russian-orthodox-leader-patriarch-kirill-let-s-be-true-peacemakers-for-ukraine

Today the Church celebrates Saint Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second Gospel and the patron saint of notaries. Mark is said to have traveled with Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey through Cyprus, and to have founded the Church in Alexandria.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-mark-the-evangelist-444

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Pope Francis’ agenda was cleared on Friday for needed medical checkups, a Vatican spokesperson said. Francis, who is 85 years old, has been suffering from pain in his right knee, causing him to take smaller roles in some Vatican liturgies and to remain seated more often. The pope’s movements have been visibly more limited since the start of the year. Pope Francis has also received more assistance walking and going up and down stairs in recent weeks.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251035/pope-francis-agenda-canceled-for-needed-medical-checkups

Pope Francis met with a delegation of Metis Indigenous people from Manitoba, Canada on Thursday. Plans for a previous visit were canceled in 2021 amid reports of possible undiscovered graves at the sites of residential schools, run by Catholic and Protestant groups and funded by the government with the goal of forcibly assimilating Indigenous people. On April 1 of this year Pope Francis voiced his “indignation and shame” at the treatment of the Indigenous people and asked forgiveness. He is expected to visit Canada this July to meet with residential school survivors.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251033/more-indigenous-canadians-meet-with-pope-francis-amid-talk-of-papal-visit

Today the Church celebrates Saints Cauis and Soter, Popes of the early Church, who are both venerated in tradition as martyrs, though no reliable account of their martyrdom survives today.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-caius-and-soter-449