Catholic News

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Pope Francis will visit Lebanon in June, according to the president of the Middle Eastern country. President Michel Aoun said he was informed of the visit by the papal nuncio to Lebanon. Pope Francis has expressed his desire to travel to Lebanon on several occasions. In recent years, Lebanon has grappled with an influx of refugees from the war in Syria, a devastating financial crisis, a lack of stable governance, the August 2020 port explosion, and the impact of COVID-19. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is also threatening to trigger a food crisis in Lebanon, which depends on wheat imports from the East European nation.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250890/breaking-pope-francis-to-visit-lebanon-in-june-says-president-aoun

Nine Christian protesters in Egypt remain in detention, months after protests of the government’s apparent refusal to approve the rebuilding of a damaged church. The Coptic Orthodox St. Joseph and Abu Sefein Church was severely damaged by fire in 2016, and although authorities granted the requested permit to demolish the building, they never responded to a request for a permit to rebuild the church, an illegal delay. Dozens of Christian villagers demonstrated against the government in January, and nine were arrested. Christian communities have long faced difficulties under Egyptian law, and most applications to build or repair churches are rejected, especially requests from poor or rural areas or areas where Christians are a small minority.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250896/months-later-nine-egyptian-christians-still-detained-after-protests-to-rebuild-church

An American religious sister was reportedly kidnapped in Burkina Faso the night of April 4. Sister Suellen Tennyson, 83, a member of the Congregation of Marianite Sisters of the Holy Cross, has been serving in the Diocese of Kaya since October 2014. The local bishop said the sister was abducted by armed men, and they do not know where she has been taken. Burkina Faso has seen an increase in Islamist violence in recent years.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250893/american-nun-abducted-in-burkina-faso

Anti-abortion activists said Tuesday that they obtained the bodies of 115 aborted babies from a driver for a medical waste company in late March, with the intention of giving the unborn children a dignified funeral and burial. Five of those babies that appear to be of late-term gestation are now in the possession of Washington, DC Metro Police, which retrieved the remains Friday from an apartment in the city where they were being stored by members of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, a group that demonstrates against abortion and engages in activism in and around abortion clinics. Along with other pro-life groups, PAAU has called on the DC Medical Examiner to autopsy the babies’ remains to determine their manner of death in order to assess whether they died after being born, in possible violation of federal laws.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250891/pro-life-group-remains-of-115-aborted-babies-from-clinics-waste

Today the Church celebrates Blessed Pierina Morosini, the patron saint of rape victims and a martyr to chastity.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-pierina-morosini-428

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.

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The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on Sunday denounced “horrific war crimes” reportedly committed by Russian forces in a city near Kyiv. In his daily video message on April 3, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk referred to images from the city of Bucha, around 15 miles northwest of the Ukrainian capital, and other newly liberated areas. News organizations reported that at least 20 bodies dressed in civilian clothing were found in a single street when Ukrainian forces retook the city of Bucha following the withdrawal of Russian combatants.

catholicnewsagency.com/news/250879/ukrainian-catholic-leader-denounces-horrific-war-crimes-in-bucha

Speaking to journalists on his return flight from Malta, Pope Francis confirmed that he was considering a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, which has faced bombardment since the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24. Pope Francis also told journalists that he was considering a face-to-face summit with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250875/will-pope-francis-go-to-kyiv-will-he-call-out-putin-by-name-here-s-what-he-told-the-media

On Saturday, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis has appointed 49-year-old Cincinnati pastor, Father Earl Fernandes, to be the next bishop of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. Fernandes is the first Indian-American to head a U.S. Roman Catholic diocese. His episcopal ordination and installation is scheduled for May 31.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250867/father-earl-fernandes-son-of-immigrants-from-india-named-next-bishop-of-columbus-ohio

Today the Church celebrates Saint Isidore of Seville, a bishop and scholar who helped the Church preserve its own traditions, and the heritage of western civilization, in the early middle ages. A Doctor of the Church, he was more recently proposed as a patron saint of Internet users, because of his determination to use the world's accumulated knowledge for the service of God's glory.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-isidore-of-seville-425

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.

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Pope Francis says he will travel to Canada in the summer, possibly for the feast of St. Anne on July 26. The pope made the announcement during a meeting with Canadian Indigenous leaders at the Vatican on April 1, marking the conclusion of a week-long visit of representatives of the Métis, Inuit, and First Nations peoples to the Vatican. During the week, Pope Francis held private meetings with each group, and expressed his “sorrow and shame” for the role Catholics have played in the abuse of Indigenous peoples in Canada, especially in residential schools. He condemned the colonization which broke the Indigenous peoples away from their native land and ways of life.

catholicnewsagency.com/news/250856/pope-francis-to-visit-indigenous-in-canada-in-july

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250857/pope-francis-expresses-sorrow-and-shame-for-catholic-role-in-abuse-against-indigenous-peoples

The Catholic bishops of Arizona this week expressed gratitude at the passage of a 15 week abortion ban in the state, saying it will help to protect women and their unborn children. The bill, which Republican Governor Doug Ducey signed into law March 30, prohibits abortions after 15 weeks except in medical emergencies affecting the life and health of the mother. The measure is not currently enforceable because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade, but could be allowed to come into effect depending on the outcome of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in which the Supreme Court is considering a 15 week ban in Mississippi. Arizona has passed several pro-life measures since 2009.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250854/arizona-bishops-say-15-week-abortion-ban-will-protect-women-and-their-unborn-children

Today the Church celebrates Saint Mary of Egypt, a little-known saint whose story demonstrates the power of the Church as the home of forgiveness, redemption and mercy. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute for 17 years before she received the Eucharist and chose the life of a hermit.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-mary-of-egypt-422

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.

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A tabernacle containing the Eucharist was recently stolen from a Maryland church, along with other valuable church belongings. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, located in Baltimore County, was broken into the night of March 25 to 26th. The church’s pastor asked whoever is responsible to return the items “and to please take care of the Eucharist in the tabernacle.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250842/tabernacle-with-eucharist-inside-stolen-from-maryland-catholic-church

Women in the UK will now be allowed to self-administer both doses of the abortion pill at home without visiting a medical clinic, after members of the UK parliament voted to make the permission to do so permanent. The policy was first adopted during the coronavirus pandemic. A government consultation found strong criticism of the policy, including concerns that medication abortions weakened protections for sexually exploited minors or other women who are manipulated or coerced into abortion. Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth said March 22, “It is shocking that the House of Lords have supported an amendment that will end the lives of innocent unborn children, with total disregard for the health of those women using this system. I urge all MP’s to reject this bill and protect human life.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250843/uk-parliament-makes-at-home-medical-abortion-policy-permanent

Oregon has dropped its residency requirement for assisted suicide, meaning doctors will be allowed to prescribe lethal drugs to people who do not reside in the state. In response to a federal lawsuit, the state agreed to stop enforcing the residency requirement March 28. In addition, the Oregon Health Authority agreed to write a bill for state lawmakers which would repeal the requirement entirely. Oregon Right to Life, a pro-life group active in the state, deplored the settlement and expressed worry that this would mark the start of “death tourism” in Oregon.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250846/oregon-drops-residency-requirement-for-assisted-suicide

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.

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A Ukrainian Catholic leader on Tuesday gave an emotional description of the situation in the capital Kyiv, where he and other Catholics have been under Russian bombardment for over a month. Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said that on the day of the invasion, they welcomed nearly 500 people in need of shelter. He noted the grave destruction that Russian forces are causing to the cities, destroying even monuments and churches. Two churches are destroyed every day in Ukraine, he said, and priests are being killed, and other innocent blood is being shed. Shevchuk thanked Pope Francis for the March 25 consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for which he said both Catholics and Orthodox were grateful.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250829/i-m-sorry-for-the-tears-says-ukrainian-catholic-leader-as-he-details-life-under-bombardment

A politician in Finland has been cleared of all charges related to the sharing of a Bible verse on social media. Finland’s Prosecutor General had charged Päivi Räsänen, a physician and mother of five, with incitement against a minority group, arguing that her online statements were “likely to cause intolerance, contempt, and hatred towards homosexuals.” Räsänen is an active member of the Finnish Lutheran Church, but she questioned her church’s sponsorship of an LGBT pride event in 2019. A group of US Senators had warned that a conviction “could open the door for prosecution of other devout Christians, Muslims, Jews and adherents of other faiths for publicly stating their religious beliefs.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250833/verdict-in-finland-s-bible-tweet-trial-announced

On Wednesday, Pope Francis named a new bishop of the French Catholic diocese that is home to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, one of the world’s most-visited Marian shrines. Monsignor Jean-Marc Micas was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes on March 30. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes has been known as a refuge for the sick for more than a century. The shrine contains a spring through which miraculous healings have been documented. The Catholic Diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes traces its roots back for centuries before the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurred in the town of Lourdes in 1858. The earliest record of a bishop of Tarbes was in 394 AD.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250836/pope-francis-appoints-new-catholic-bishop-of-lourdes

Today the Church celebrates Saint John Climacus, a 6th-century Palestinian monk who became abbot of all the religious in the region of Mount Sinai.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-climacus-192

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.

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A Catholic priest of the Diocese of Minna in Nigeria was among 45 people kidnapped after Mass on Sunday. On the morning of March 27, assailants abducted villagers along with Father Leo Raphael Ozigi, a priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in the town of Sarkin Pawa. The people abducted were reportedly villagers who had just returned to their communities on Saturday after living in Internally Displaced Persons camps.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250822/catholic-priest-abducted-after-sunday-mass-in-nigeria

A Ukrainian Catholic priest, who is married and a father of seven, recently accompanied one of his parishioners on a journey to Ukraine, where they rescued 22 orphans. Father Jason Charron flew to Ukraine with one of his parishioners, who had recently adopted a daughter from there. Crossing the border into Ukraine, the priest and the parishioner made their way to the orphanage from which the daughter had been adopted, and were able to get the orphans to safety in Lithuania.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250819/a-catholic-priest-and-a-parishioner-team-up-to-rescue-ukrainian-orphans

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.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-joseph-of-arimathea-191

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

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An ambulance blessed and donated by Pope Francis to the authorities in Lviv, western Ukraine, is on its way. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who runs the pope’s charitable office, left Rome on Saturday afternoon to drive the ambulance to Ukraine. Pope Francis donated the ambulance to Ukrainian authorities to assist with medical treatment as the city responds to the influx of people seeking safety from shelling in the capital Kyiv and other parts of the country. Around 6.5 million people have been displaced from their homes within Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250810/vatican-cardinal-brings-ambulance-from-pope-francis-to-ukraine

“Enough. Stop it. Silence the weapons. Move seriously toward peace.” This is what Pope Francis said in remarks after the Sunday Angelus, referring to the war in Ukraine. The pope said war should not be something that is inevitable, and he begged every political leader to reflect on how each day of war worsens the situation for everyone. On Friday, the pope consecrated humanity and especially Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That prayer of consecration was joined by scores of bishops, priests and lay faithful from around the world. Pope Francis thanked everyone for “such a huge and intense participation.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250807/enough-end-war-before-it-ends-us-pope-francis-says-as-ukraine-invasion-continues

A new Arabic-language Catholic news website, launched on Friday, aims to tell the stories of Christians in the region, with a focus on the Churches of the East and persecuted Christians. The Association for Catholic Information Middle East and North Africa, or ACI MENA, will publish original news content in Arabic using a network of correspondents across the region. The news agency will operate from the campus of Erbil’s Catholic University. To view the website, go to A C I, M E N A dot com.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250797/archbishop-warda-aci-mena-catholic-news-agency-in-arabic-launches-in-iraq

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250788/ewtn-aci-mena-arabic-language-news-agency-erbil-iraq

Today the Church celebrates Saint Sixtus the third, the 44th Pope, who 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 St. Augustine of Hippo.

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.

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Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary this evening, entrusting the nations to Mary’s help and protection amid the ongoing conflict there. The pope has asked everyone in the world to join him. The consecration itself will take the form of a prayer that Pope Francis will recite during a penitential service in Rome. If you want to join the pope at the beginning of the penitential service, the service will start at 5 pm Rome time. EWTN will broadcast the service on cable and online. If you want to join in praying with Pope Francis at the exact moment he is praying the prayer of consecration, that will likely happen closer to 6:30 pm Rome time, according to the pope. Your diocese or parish is likely organizing a gathering to pray it together. The text of the prayer can be found at our website, catholic news agency dot com.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250786/what-time-is-the-consecration-of-russia-and-ukraine-find-out-here

In an 8-to-1 ruling on Thursday, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of an inmate who requested that his pastor pray aloud and “lay hands” on him during his execution. The prisoner,who identifies as Christian, asked for his pastor to be present during his execution, originally scheduled for September 2021. The court’s majority ruled that the prisoner was likely to prevail in his case under the RLUIPA, a law which provides that the government not impose “a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an institution.”The single dissenter, Justice Clarence Thomas, called the prisoner’s claim “insincere.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250784/supreme-court-inmate-pastor-during-execution

The Archdiocese of Denver has investigated a reported miracle, and has determined that a statue of Saint Michael the Archangel was not, in fact, bleeding blood. A chemical analysis has determined that the red liquid on the statue was similar to nail polish. The statue belonged to a 57-year-old Catholic in the Denver suburb of Broomfield. After the investigation, the archdiocese said it “urges the faithful to exercise prudence in becoming involved with unapproved apparitions or alleged miracles.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250783/denver-archdiocese-supposed-blood-on-st-michael-statue-similar-to-red-nail-polish

Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. This feast day celebrates the coming of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, to announce to her the special mission God had chosen for her to be the mother of Jesus, His only son. Because this is a solemnity that falls during a Friday in Lent, Catholics should feel free to eat meat today.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/solemnity-of-the-annunciation-of-the-lord-188

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250781/can-catholics-eat-meat-when-a-solemnity-falls-on-a-friday-during-lent

Today the Church also celebrates Saint Dismas, also called the Good Thief, who was crucified alongside Jesus.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dismas-419

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.

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The home of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI’s late brother has opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees. Until the arrival of two refugee families, the house in Regensburg, southern Germany, had lain empty after Monsignor Georg Ratzinger’s death on July 1, 2020, at the age of 96. The building now houses two families from the town of Horishni Plavni, around 80 miles southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Local residents have donated pots, crockery, clothes, furniture, and toys to the two families. According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine in the first month of the war, and over 200,000 refugees have arrived in Germany.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250773/home-of-benedict-xvi-s-late-brother-opens-doors-to-ukrainian-refugees

Senators are continuing to press US Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on the abortion issue during her confirmation hearings with questions such as, “When does life begin, in your opinion?” to which Jackson responded that she didn’t know. Jackson is the federal judge nominated by President Joe Biden to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Jackson has the support of abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood for her nomination.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250771/when-does-life-begin-ketanji-brown-jackson-abortion

Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Friday, March 25, entrusting the nations to Mary’s help and protection. The pope has asked all the bishops — and indeed all the faithful of the entire world — to join him. The consecration itself will take the form of a prayer that Pope Francis will recite during a penitential service in Rome.

For detailed instructions on how you can join the pope in prayer, visit catholic news agency dot com.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250768/want-to-join-in-the-consecration-of-russia-and-ukraine-heres-how

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Catherine of Sweden, who was born near the beginning of the fourteenth century to parents Ulfo and St. 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.

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Pope Francis has written a letter asking all Catholics to assemble in their parishes on Friday to pray the act of consecration of the world, particularly Russia and Ukraine, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The pope is scheduled to pray the Marian consecration in St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday, March 25, in union with bishops around the world. Pope Francis also included the text of the consecration prayer with his letter so that all Catholics can pray it together. Visit catholic news agency dot com to find the full text of the prayer.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250762/pope-francis-asks-all-catholics-to-take-part-in-consecration-of-russia-ukraine-to-immaculate-heart-of-mary

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250756/vatican-pope-francis-text-for-march-25-consecration-prayer

Many dioceses in the United States have already announced that they will be participating in the consecration of Russia and Ukraine. Visit catholic news agency dot com to find a list of all the dioceses in the United States whose bishops have announced they will be joining the pope in the consecration, and information about how you can participate.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250730/is-your-diocese-participating-in-pope-francis-consecration-of-russia-and-ukraine-find-out-here

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson called Roe v Wade “settled law” during her ongoing confirmation hearings on Tuesday. Roe v Wade is the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Jackson, the federal judge nominated by President Joe Biden to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, avoided the word abortion, instead referring to “the right to terminate a woman’s pregnancy.” Pro-life leaders have expressed concerns about Jackson’s record on abortion to the chairs of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250759/ketanji-brown-jackson-calls-roe-settled-law-on-terminating-pregnancy

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, a 16th century bishop who 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