Catholic News 2
AGIOS ATHANASIOS, Greece (AP) -- As a member of a persecuted minority in Iraq, 24-year-old Shaker Mahie has seen his people massacred, raped and scattered across a new continent. Now, the Yazidi - whose faith is older than Christianity - are at the center of a new European dilemma....
GIULIANOVA, Italy (AP) -- A survivor of an Italian avalanche that devastated a mountain hotel says she only learned she had been buried by tons of snow after she was rescued....
The Dow Jones industrial average crossed the 20,000 mark for the first time Wednesday, the latest milestone in a record-setting drive for the stock market. The other major U.S. stock indexes were also moving higher in morning trading, led by banks and other financial companies. Strong earnings from Boeing and other big companies drove the rally, extending gains from the day before....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump tweeted early Wednesday that he is ordering a "major investigation" into voter fraud, revisiting unsubstantiated claims he's made repeatedly about a rigged voting system....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is considering a major review of America's methods for interrogating terror suspects and the possible reopening of CIA-run "black site" prisons outside the United States, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Associated Press....
(Vatican Radio) Holy Mass was celebrated on Tuesday in the Vatican Grottoes for the 16 Hungarian victims of a bus crash, which occurred last Friday near Verona, Italy.The secondary school students were returning to Budapest from a skiing trip in France when their bus crashed into a highway overpass and burst into flames.The suffrage Mass was presided over by Bishop Ferenc Cserháti in the Magna Domina Hungarorum Chapel in the Grottoes under St. Peter’s Basilica.Among those present at the Mass for the victims and their families were the Hungary's Ambassadors to the Holy See and Italy, along with the Embassies’ staff.In his homily, Bishop Cserháti said, “As we cry, we must not forget that these departed young people are written on the palm of God’s hand, because they are His creatures, and God desires not death but life.”
(Vatican Radio) Holy Mass was celebrated on Tuesday in the Vatican Grottoes for the 16 Hungarian victims of a bus crash, which occurred last Friday near Verona, Italy.
The secondary school students were returning to Budapest from a skiing trip in France when their bus crashed into a highway overpass and burst into flames.
The suffrage Mass was presided over by Bishop Ferenc Cserháti in the Magna Domina Hungarorum Chapel in the Grottoes under St. Peter’s Basilica.
Among those present at the Mass for the victims and their families were the Hungary's Ambassadors to the Holy See and Italy, along with the Embassies’ staff.
In his homily, Bishop Cserháti said, “As we cry, we must not forget that these departed young people are written on the palm of God’s hand, because they are His creatures, and God desires not death but life.”
(Vatican Radio) In this week's edition of There's More in the Gospel Than Meets the Eye, Jill Bevilacqua and Seàn-Patrick Lovett bring us readings and reflections for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Listen: Gospel Mt 5:1 – 12AWhen Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.He began to teach them, saying:"Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are yo...
(Vatican Radio) In this week's edition of There's More in the Gospel Than Meets the Eye, Jill Bevilacqua and Seàn-Patrick Lovett bring us readings and reflections for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Listen:
Gospel Mt 5:1 – 12A
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."
Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Fr. Kannikadass William Antony the new bishop to the Diocese of Mysore in southern India’s Karnataka state. He takes over from Bishop Thomas Antony Vazhapilly, who has retired.Fr. Kannikadass William Antony has completed Bachelor’s degree in Education, Masters in Canon Law at St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute, Bangalore and Masters in Christianity (MA) at University of Mysore.After his ordination he has served as assistant Parish Priest of St. Thomas Church, Thomayarpalaya and Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Martalli, as parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Gundulpet, Holy Family, Hinkal, and St. Joseph’s Cathedral(St. Philomena’s Church), Mysore.He has also served as Financial Administrator and Chancellor of the Diocese of Mysore for 6 years. Currently he is the Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Church, Jayalakshmipuram, and Public Relations Officer of the same diocese. He is also the Secretary and Corresponden...
Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Fr. Kannikadass William Antony the new bishop to the Diocese of Mysore in southern India’s Karnataka state. He takes over from Bishop Thomas Antony Vazhapilly, who has retired.
Fr. Kannikadass William Antony has completed Bachelor’s degree in Education, Masters in Canon Law at St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute, Bangalore and Masters in Christianity (MA) at University of Mysore.
After his ordination he has served as assistant Parish Priest of St. Thomas Church, Thomayarpalaya and Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Martalli, as parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Gundulpet, Holy Family, Hinkal, and St. Joseph’s Cathedral(St. Philomena’s Church), Mysore.
He has also served as Financial Administrator and Chancellor of the Diocese of Mysore for 6 years. Currently he is the Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Church, Jayalakshmipuram, and Public Relations Officer of the same diocese. He is also the Secretary and Correspondent of the Mysore Diocesan Educational Society which administers 128 institutions in 4 districts of Mysore, Mandya, Kodagu and Chamarajanaga.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has invited believers to trust in God’s providential care while doing everything in their power to respond to the challenges that come their way.He was addressing pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: Resuming his ongoing catechesis on Christian hope Pope Francis recalled the courageous figure of Judith, and of how, during the siege of the city of Bethulia by the Assyrian general Holofernes, she urged the despairing population to reinforce its wavering hope in the Lord and ended up proposing a plan that led to victory over the enemy.The example of this woman of great wisdom and courage, the Pope said, teaches us to trust in the Lord’s providential care, but also, in prayer and obedience, to discern his will and to do everything in our power to respond to the challenges that come our way. “How often have we felt our trust in God waver? How many times has each ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has invited believers to trust in God’s providential care while doing everything in their power to respond to the challenges that come their way.
He was addressing pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:
Resuming his ongoing catechesis on Christian hope Pope Francis recalled the courageous figure of Judith, and of how, during the siege of the city of Bethulia by the Assyrian general Holofernes, she urged the despairing population to reinforce its wavering hope in the Lord and ended up proposing a plan that led to victory over the enemy.
The example of this woman of great wisdom and courage, the Pope said, teaches us to trust in the Lord’s providential care, but also, in prayer and obedience, to discern his will and to do everything in our power to respond to the challenges that come our way.
“How often have we felt our trust in God waver? How many times has each of us, perhaps in desperation, been tempted to lose faith and expect the worst?” he said.
Judith’s faith, Pope Francis continued, inspires us to commend ourselves to the Father with trust and obedience.
And remarking on Judith’s courage, the Pope mentioned that in his opinion, women are often more courageous than men…
“Dear brothers and sisters, never impose your conditions on God, but allow Christian hope to defeat your fear. To trust in God means to be unconditionally part of his plan accepting the fact that we are given salvation and His help in ways that are different from what we expect” he said.
God, the Pope continued, knows exactly what it is we are in need of and we must trust Him because his paths and his actions are different to ours.
Judith, a woman full of faith and courage gave strength to her people who were in mortal danger and conducted them on the path of trust. We too, the Pope said, must heed the wise and courageous words of humble women…
“The wise words of grandmothers who often know what to say and how to give encouragement because they have the experience of life; they have suffered, they have trusted in God, and the Lord gives them this gift of showing us how to keep on having faith” he said.
Let us commend ourselves to the Father, Pope Francis concluded, with the same obedience that led Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, to pray: “Not my will, but yours be done”.
(Vatican Radio) Bishops leading negotiations between political leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are warning that unless a crucial political agreement is signed by 28 January all efforts to achieve peace will have been in vain.The Catholic Church became a mediator between political parties after President Joseph Kabila failed to step down at the end of his constitutional mandate on 19 December after 16 years in power.A deal was signed on 31 December that aims to pave the way for the first ever peaceful transition of power in the nation.However, Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Vice President of the Catholic Church's National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), and one of the mediators who directed negotiations between the political majority and the opposition, told Fides News Agency this week that “the bad faith of the politicians is putting strain on the patience of the pastors”.Archbishop Besungu also said that the bishops are due to de...
(Vatican Radio) Bishops leading negotiations between political leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are warning that unless a crucial political agreement is signed by 28 January all efforts to achieve peace will have been in vain.
The Catholic Church became a mediator between political parties after President Joseph Kabila failed to step down at the end of his constitutional mandate on 19 December after 16 years in power.
A deal was signed on 31 December that aims to pave the way for the first ever peaceful transition of power in the nation.
However, Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Vice President of the Catholic Church's National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), and one of the mediators who directed negotiations between the political majority and the opposition, told Fides News Agency this week that “the bad faith of the politicians is putting strain on the patience of the pastors”.
Archbishop Besungu also said that the bishops are due to depart for Geneva on 29 January and if the agreement is not signed by then “it is over”.
The deal would see Kabila leave power after an election at the end of this year. During a direct negotiations session all parties had agreed that the signing of the special arrangement would take place on 28 January.
Meanwhile, several people throughout the country have been killed in violent clashes while stakeholders are reportedly still struggling to agree on issues related to the appointment of the Prime Minister and the formation of a government.
