Catholic News

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Traditional Latin Mass attendees expressed cautious optimism on Monday, after a traditionalist community said that Pope Francis had given them permission to continue to celebrate Mass with the pre-Vatican II 1962 missal. The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter said Monday that Pope Francis has given the group full permission to offer the Traditional Latin Mass, carry out the sacraments, and fulfill the Divine Office, according to the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical and the Roman Breviary that were used in 1962. The group said that Pope Francis signed the decree on February 11, but the Vatican has not yet confirmed the text of the decree.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250442/traditionalist-communities-cautiously-optimistic-after-fssp-news

Spain’s Catholic bishops have commissioned a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of sexual abuse committed by Church members. The independent audit is intended to create a “comprehensive report” of all clerical sex abuse cases, and also to open an independent channel to receive potential complaints and recommend further preventative measures.

catholicnewsagency.com/news/250439/spain-s-catholic-bishops-ask-law-firm-to-open-independent-audit-on-clerical-sex-abuse

Colombia’s Constitutional Court has ruled to decriminalize abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The ruling means that until the 24th week of pregnancy, abortion will not be a punishable crime in Colombia, and will be allowed for limited reasons up until birth. Pro-life advocates in the country decried the ruling, saying the judges had failed the Colombian people.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250444/colombias-constitutional-court-decriminalizes-abortion-up-to-six-months

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, which commemorates the papacy, and St. Peter as the first bishop of Rome.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/chair-of-saint-peter-155

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A leading Polish bishop asked his people on Monday to be hospitable to Ukrainian refugees if Russia takes further military action and invades Ukraine. Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki lamented the escalation of tensions in Ukraine, amid the amassing of some 150,000 Russian troops on the Ukrainian border. The archbishop said, quote, “The history of Poland shows that for centuries, our homeland has been a refuge for those who, respecting Polish culture and laws, fled from persecution and hatred.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250437/polish-catholic-bishops-leader-calls-for-open-and-hospitable-hearts-to-refugees-from-ukraine

Pope Francis is praying for the victims of cyclones in Madagascar, which have displaced thousands and killed more than 100 people this month.Tropical storm Dumako hit Madagascar on February 15, killing at least 14 people and forcing 4,323 to seek shelter with the state disaster relief agency, according to Reuters. Earlier this month, 124 people were killed by tropical cyclone Batsirai. Madagascar’s national meteorological service predicts that another cyclone could hit the island tomorrow, February 22.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250434/pope-francis-prays-for-cyclone-victims-in-madagascar

A Mexican priest last week lamented the murder of journalists in Mexico and attempts to silence them, and encouraged those working in the media to have "great courage." According to the Mexican press, the first three years of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s term have been the most violent for journalists, with 30 homicides, six in 2022 alone.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250427/mexican-diocese-laments-murders-attempts-to-silence-journalists

Today, the Church honors Saint Peter Damian, a Benedictine monk who strove to purify and reform the Church during the early years of its second millennium.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-peter-damian-154

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A principal at a school in the Archdiocese of Chicago will not return to the school, after defying a mask mandate. The principal was suspended from his elementary school earlier this month, after he announced that his school could go mask-optional. At the time, the archdiocese still required masks in schools, regardless of local regulations. That policy has since changed.

A former executive of a historically Catholic non-profit in Michigan has been sentenced to prison, after pleading guilty on a charge related to embezzlement. John Lynch was CEO of Holy Cross Services from 2015 to 2017. He was fired after the board found apparent evidence of embezzlement. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, related to his embezzlement of almost $250,000 in funds.

The pope has advanced the sainthood cause of an Argentine cardinal who helped organize the first World Youth Day. Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio was a member of the Roman Curia for two decades. He was friends with Pope Francis when they both lived in Argentina. The future pope even heard the cardinal’s confession at one point. The cardinal died in 1998.

Today is the feast day of Saint Simon, a relative of Jesus who is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew and Acts.

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 Archdiocese of Washington has dropped its mask mandate for its schools, following an outcry from parents. The policy change applies only to schools located in Maryland, because the District of Columbia still has a mandatory indoor masking order. Masks are also now optional at schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Italy’s constitutional court has blocked a move to decriminalize physician-assisted suicide in the country. In its decision, the court said the referendum in question had inadequate protections for the weak and vulnerable. The Italian bishops’ conference praised the decision.

A verdict is expected next month in the trial of a Christian member of parliament in Finland. The woman is on trial after tweeting a Bible verse, and publishing a pamphlet about human sexuality. The state prosecutor said the statements were likely to cause intolerance toward people with same-sex attraction.

Today is the feast of the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites. The seven men lived in Florence in the thirteenth century and received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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 coalition of healthcare workers, has again petitioned the U-S Supreme Court, to block a coronavirus vaccine mandate for healthcare employees in New York. The mandate does not allow for religious exemptions. The men and women say they are willing to be tested frequently, and wear additional equipment, rather than receive the coronavirus vaccine. They say receiving the vaccine violates their religious convictions.

The Church is filled with inconsistencies and sins, but it is also filled with goodness and holiness. Those were the words of Pope Francis this morning, during his general audience in Rome. The pope encouraged all Catholics to love the Church. He said only those who are motivated by love are able to speak the truth fully.

Today is the feast day of Saint Onesimus. He was a slave to Philemon, an influential man who had been converted by Saint Paul. He met Saint Paul while Paul was in a Roman prison, and he was baptized. He became a preacher and bishop, and was martyred in the year 90.

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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Ukrainian Catholic bishops in the U-S are asking for your prayers as the Russian military gathers at the Ukrainian border. The bishops prayed for the safety and courage of the people of Ukraine, and prayed that the Lord would preserve Ukraine.

Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker is speaking out in support of the Traditional Latin Mass. The 26-year-old is the starting placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. His team won the Super Bowl in 2020. Butker has said the Traditional Latin Mass played a large role in his return to the Catholic Church while in college.

Vatican firefighters successfully rescued a cat today, after the cat became stuck on top of the colonnade surrounding Saint Peter’s Square. It’s unclear who the cat belongs to, or how it was able to ascend the colonnade.

Today is the feast of the 17th century French Jesuit, Saint Claude de la Colombiere. He is remembered for authenticating and writing about Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque’s visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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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An ongoing study of anti-religious acts in France has uncovered more than 800 anti-Christian incidents reported in 2021. Catholic churches in France are frequently targeted by vandals, and in August 2021 a Catholic priest was murdered.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250372/more-than-800-anti-christian-incidents-reported-in-france-in-2021

Pope Francis on Monday reorganized the internal structure of the Vatican’s doctrine office into two sections, creating a doctrinal section and a disciplinary section. The disciplinary section will deal with certain serious canonical crimes. The change is part of Pope Francis’ ongoing reform of the Vatican’s governance structure.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250378/pope-francis-changes-structure-of-vatican-doctrinal-office

Today, the Church honors Saints Cyril and Methodius, two brothers who spread the Gospel throughout Eastern Europe in the ninth century. Together they serve as the patron saints of Europe.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-cyril-and-methodius-147

Today is also St. Valentine’s Day. To learn all about St. Valentine, check out today’s episode of our companion podcast, CNA Newsroom. Just search for CNA Newsroom on your favorite podcast platform, or ask your smart speaker for it.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-valentine-738

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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Catholic schools across much of the Archdiocese of Chicago can now make masks optional. The archdiocese announced this week that it would no longer require masks, unless a school is located in a place where local health authorities have a mask mandate. The archdiocese said none of its classrooms are in quarantine, and nearly half of its schools are reporting no cases of the coronavirus.

The Vatican Observatory has discovered an object orbiting the sun. The object is classified as a “trans-Neptunian object” because it orbits the sun at a greater distance than that of Neptune. It is believed the object could help scientists understand more about the origins of the solar system. A priest with the Vatican Observatory discovered the object in December. The discovery was announced this week.

Pope Francis has appointed a bishop to lead two Catholic dioceses in west Ireland. The dioceses will share a bishop, but they will remain autonomous.

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. Lourdes honors the Blessed Virgin Mary’s eighteen appearances to a 14-year-old French girl named Bernadette.

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 province of Quebec in Canada now requires citizens to show a COVID-19 vaccine passport to attend religious services. Bishops in the province have said they accept the requirement for now, but will continue to petition the government to end it. The vaccine passport system involves an electronic record that allows vaccinated individuals to access certain places or activities. It has been in place since September of last year.

The archbishops of Los Angeles and Cincinnati have announced a friendly wager, ahead of the Super Bowl this Sunday. If the Los Angeles Rams lose, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles will send baked goods to Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati. If the Cincinnati Bengals lose, Schnurr will send Gomez a crate of locally-made ice cream. The archbishops are also donating money to support their Catholic schools.

The pope will make a two-day visit to Malta in April. The Archdiocese of Malta confirmed the visit this week. The visit is expected to include a stop at an immigration reception center for migrants from Africa.

Today is the feast of Saint Scholastica, a nun who was the twin sister of Saint Benedict.

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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Pope Francis said on Wednesday that the dying need palliative care, which seeks to improve the quality of life of people suffering from severe illnesses, rather than euthanasia or assisted suicide. The pope remarks came amid growing acceptance of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Western countries, including Australia, Austria, England and Wales, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250333/at-general-audience-pope-francis-says-the-dying-need-palliative-care-not-euthanasia-or-assisted-suicide

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI personally requested forgiveness from abuse survivors on Tuesday, in a letter responding to a report that faulted his handling of cases during his tenure as Munich archbishop from 1977 to 1982. The almost 1,000-word letter was accompanied by a three-page rebuttal of the criticisms of the pope emeritus contained in the Munich abuse report, published last month. Benedict XVI’s advisers defended his actions in all four cases of alleged mishandling of abuse cases highlighted by the study. Concluding his letter, Benedict, who turns 95 on April 16, looked ahead to his judgment before God.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250319/benedict-letter-munich-sexual-abuse-report-analysis

Today, the Church honors Saint Apollonia of Alexandria, a holy virgin who suffered martyrdom in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians in the early 3rd century. She is popularly invoked for toothaches because of the torments she had to endure during her martyrdom.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-apollonia-of-alexandria-142