Catholic News

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Pope Francis will lead a rosary tomorrow to begin a month-long prayer marathon for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pope’s rosary will be broadcast live from Saint Peter’s Basilica at 6 pm Rome time.

It has been 100 days since President Joe Biden was sworn into office, and now Catholics are urging him to honor his campaign promises to end the federal death penalty. Biden was the first president to run on a platform opposed to capital punishment. But he has yet to address the death penalty directly, since becoming president.

A masked man bashed a mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a sledgehammer last week, at a parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The parish has called the desecration an act of sacrilege against the Blessed Mother. They are asking for donations to restore the tiles in the mural.

Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop of Wilmington, the home diocese of President Joe Biden. Monsignor William Koenig is a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York. His episcopal ordination is scheduled for July 13.

The archdiocese of Atlanta will reinstate the obligation to attend Sunday Mass on May 22. The archbishop said the wide availability of vaccines makes it possible for Catholics to physically return to Mass. A dispensation is still in place for vulnerable populations. Masks and social distancing will still be required.

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Officials of the Roman Curia, may no longer accept personal gifts with a monetary value over forty euros, or $50. The new rule is part of a sweeping new anti-corruption law. Pope Francis created the rule today, in the form of a motu proprio. The new rule appears to be an effort to quash the Vatican’s envelope culture, in which large monetary donations are made to bishops and cardinals working in the Roman Curia.That culture has been blamed for contributing to corruption in the Church, most notably in cases like that of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Seven priests in the Archdiocese of Ranchi in eastern India are currently hospitalized with covid-19. A neighboring diocese reportedly lost five priests to covid-19 in ten days. India’s official coronavirus death toll passed 200,000 this week, after more than 3,000 people died of covid-19 in 24 hours. The World Health Organization has said higher rates of transmission could be due to a new covid-19 variant discovered in India. Many believe the actual infection and death rates are likely higher than official statistics suggest.

A proposed bill in Texas would extend the waiting period on no-fault divorce. The bill has the support of the Texas Catholic Conference. If it becomes law, married couples seeking a no-fault divorce would need to wait six months if they have minor children, or disabled adult children. No-fault divorces do not include cases in which domestic violence is involved.

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Two Catholic dioceses in New York have asked the U-S Supreme Court to hear their case challenging New York’s abortion coverage mandate. The 2017 mandate requires employers to include abortion coverage in their employee health insurance plans. There is a religious exemption to the mandate, but the dioceses argue the exemption is too narrow. Plaintiffs in the case include the Diocese of Albany, the Diocese of Ogdensburg, three Catholic Charities agencies, Anglican sisters, and Baptist and Lutheran churches.

Cardinal George Pell has said the situation of the Church in Germany appears ominous to him. The Cardinal made his comment in a recent interview with EWTN. The Church in Germany is planning to hold a day of blessings next month, for same-sex partners. The event is still scheduled, despite the Vatican’s recent declaration that the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions. Cardinal Pell told EWTN that German bishops must fulfill their duty to uphold the teachings of Scripture, and the teachings of the Church.

Pope Francis spoke about Christian meditation during his general audience in Rome today. The pope said that Christian meditation is not a withdrawal into ourselves. Instead, he said Christian meditation is a way of encountering Jesus. Pope Francis said the practice of meditation has become increasingly popular, particularly in the West. He said every person can benefit from general meditation, but he said that Christian meditation goes deeper, leading to Christ.

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Twelve people have been arrested in connection with the shooting of the bishop-elect of a diocese in South Sudan. Three South Sudanese Catholic clerics are reportedly among the suspects. Two armed men attacked the bishop-elect at his residence last weekend. The bishop-elect is now receiving treatment at a medical facility in Nairobi. Local authorities say the attack was an isolated incident.

The pope will hold a consistory in Rome next week. At the consistory, cardinals will vote to approve the canonizations of seven beatified men and women, including Blessed Charles de Foucauld. The French missionary was killed in Algeria in 1916. Only cardinals who are in Rome will take part in the consistory. The vote is the last step in the canonization process for the seven beatified men and women. The canonizations will be the first since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pope Francis met Monday with a community of Poor Clare nuns, whose monastery was destroyed in a 2009 earthquake. The quake was Italy’s deadliest since 1980, killing more than 300 people, including the abbess of the Poor Clare community. The pope praised the nuns for growing in fraternity and courage despite their losses. The cloistered nuns were able to return to their monastery in 2019. Their community is now flourishing with young vocations.

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Pope Francis has declared a blind 14th-century Italian lay Dominican a saint. Margaret of Castello was born blind, and with a severe curvature of her spine. Her parents abandoned her in 1303 at a Catholic shrine, where they had taken her in hopes of a miraculous cure. Later in life, she was admitted to the Third Order of Saint Dominic. She remained a laywoman, but she received a religious habit, which she wore for the rest of her life. She opened a small school, where she taught children the Catholic faith.She died in 1320 at the age of 33, and her tomb quickly became associated with miracles. Pope Francis used a process called equivalent canonization, which waives the requirement for a miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession.

The bishop-elect for a diocese in South Sudan was shot several times on Sunday evening. Two armed men reportedly attacked the bishop-elect at his residence. He is reportedly recovering at a local health facility, and will soon be air-lifted to Nairobi to receive medical care. The priest was appointed bishop-elect for the Diocese of Rumbek back in March. The diocese had been without a bishop for almost a decade.

Pope Francis ordained nine men to the priesthood on Sunday. The pope gave a largely off-the-cuff homily, encouraging the men to be shepherds like Christ.He also urged the new priests to see themselves as collaborators with their bishops. The pope said this spirit of collaboration will protect unity in the local Church. The new priests came from three seminaries in the Diocese of Rome. Most were born in Italy, but three came from Romania, Colombia and Brazil.

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Three Catholics, who were kidnapped in Haiti last week have been released. Seven Catholics are still being held for ransom, including two French citizens and the family members of a Haitian priest. The group of Catholics was abducted on April 11, while they traveled to attend the installation of a parish priest. A local gang has reportedly claimed responsibility for the kidnappings. The gang is demanding a $1M ransom.

The pope has promised his prayers for the thousands of people displaced by ongoing volcanic eruptions in the southern Caribbean. A volcanic eruption on the island of Saint Vincent has displaced close to 20,000 people. The main island, and the nearby Grenadines islands, have limited access to clean water. The United Nations has launched a $29.2M funding appeal to address the humanitarian consequences of the natural disaster. The volcano had been dormant since 1979. It has erupted several times since April 9, destroying homes and crops and covering entire villages with ash.

Pope Francis celebrated today’s feast of his namesake, Saint George, with six hundred of Rome’s poor and needy. The pope’s baptismal name is Jorge, the Spanish version of George. Saint George’s feast day is a holiday in the Vatican. Pope Francis spent the day greeting the poor and needy in the Paul the Sixth Audience Hall, as they waited to receive the second dose of the coronavirus vaccination.

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A diocese in Australia is at odds with the Archbishop of Sydney, over a bill related to gender ideology in classrooms. The bill would ban discussion of gender fluidity from the curriculum of local schools. It would also mandate schools to inform parents of all discussions of gender and sexuality. The Archdiocese of Sydney, and the governing body of all six hundred Catholic schools in the state, support the bill. They say the bill upholds the primacy of parental education of children. The Diocese of Parramatta, in the western suburbs of Sydney, says the bill disrespects human dignity, and could encourage bullying.

In a video message for Earth Day today, Pope Francis urged world leaders to act with courage and innovation, to prevent the destruction of the planet. The pope said the pandemic has taught us about the impact our lives have on nature, and climate change. He prayed that we will emerge from the pandemic better than before and that we will avoid a path of self-destruction. The pope’s video message was played during an Earth Day live stream, available on YouTube.

The Vatican has dedicated the month of May to prayer, for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Catholic shrines around the world will take turns leading a daily live streamed rosary, at noon Eastern time. Pope Francis will open the month of prayer on May 1, asking for Mary’s intercession. The Catholic Church dedicates the month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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The archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is calling for peace and reconciliation, following the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in 2020. Archbishop Bernard Hebda said the crucified and risen Christ is an example of the healing power of forgiveness and compassion. The archbishop prayed that Christ would bring healing to the Twin Cities, comfort to Floyd’s family, and satisfaction to those who thirst for justice.

A bill that would end religious exemptions from childhood vaccine requirements has advanced in the Connecticut House of Representatives. The bill has the support of Connecticut’s governor, but it still needs to pass the state Senate. There has been an increase in the number of requests for religious exemption from childhood vaccinations. In as many as 100 schools in Connecticut, vaccination rates have fallen below 95 percent. Public health officials stress the importance of high vaccination rates to protect against outbreaks. If the latest bill passes, it will go into effect in 2022.

And finally, in his general audience today, Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to read the 19th-century spiritual classic, “The Way of a Pilgrim.” The book shares the story of an unnamed pilgrim who travels across Russia, seeking to discover the secret of constant prayer. Francis said the book can help today’s Catholics better understand vocal prayer. Francis gave his address in the library of the Apostolic Palace, due to coronavirus restrictions.

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 may soon appoint a new head of the Congregation for the Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments. Several sources in Rome have told Catholic News Agency the appointment may take place before the Feast of the Ascension, on May 13th. Robert Cardinal Sarah led the Congregation until February, when Pope Francis accepted his resignation. It is rumored that a bishop of a diocese in Northern Italy could be appointed to lead the congregation.

A bishop in Spain is asking Catholics around the world to join him in prayer for the Catholic Church in Germany. Members of the Church in Germany have planned an event, on May 10, to offer blessings for same-sex partners. Several priests, deacons, pastoral workers, and even some bishops, will reportedly participate in the event. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said in March that the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions.

And finally, the bishop of Allentown in Pennsylvania has proclaimed a jubilee year to promote greater dedication to the Holy Eucharist. The Year of the Real Presence began on Divine Mercy Sunday. It will end on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, in 2022. The jubilee also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the diocese of Allentown. A recent Pew Research study found that only thirty-one percent of U.S. Catholics believe that the bread and wine used in the Eucharist become the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is a fundamental teaching, central to the Catholic faith.

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The Pope has praised the beatification of six monks martyred in 1799, while trying to protect the Eucharist from desecration. The Cistercian monks were beatified on Saturday, in the Italian abbey where they were martyred. Pope Francis prayed the monks might encourage today’s Catholics to a greater commitment to God.

Ireland’s leading archbishop has decried the Irish government’s new regulations on public worship. The regulations were approved by Ireland’s health minister last week. They forbid large indoor gatherings, due to the coronavirus pandemic. There are narrow exemptions for priests celebrating Mass via live stream, as well as wedding receptions and funerals. Ireland’s government has suspended public worship since last October, due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is among the longest restrictions in Europe. The Irish government has suggested it will begin to relax restrictions in May, as vaccinations become more widely available. Public Masses resumed in Northern Ireland on Good Friday.

The Society of Catholic Scientists will discuss non-human intelligence at its annual conference this June. Topics will include extraterrestrial and artificial intelligences. Speakers include experts in astrophysics, astrochemistry, evolutionary biology, and Catholic theology. The conference will take place June 4-6 in Washington D.C. The event will also be live-streamed.