(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written a letter to the bishops of the Buenos Aires region of Argentina, praising them for their document which spells out ways in which priests should apply the teachings of his apostolic exhortation ‘Amoris Laetitia’.Listen to Philippa Hitchen's report: The Pope was responding to a document by the bishops entitled ‘Basic criteria for the application of chapter 8 of ‘Amoris Laetitia’ which details ways of ‘accompanying, discerning and integrating weakness’ for Catholics living in irregular family situations. That chapter focuses on the need to support and integrate divorcees into the life of the Church, specifying that “in certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments”.In his letter the Pope underlines the urgency of formation of priests for the practice of discernment, stressing that this is central to the task of accompanying families in difficulty. He calls for in-dept...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written a letter to the bishops of the Buenos Aires region of Argentina, praising them for their document which spells out ways in which priests should apply the teachings of his apostolic exhortation ‘Amoris Laetitia’.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen's report:
The Pope was responding to a document by the bishops entitled ‘Basic criteria for the application of chapter 8 of ‘Amoris Laetitia’ which details ways of ‘accompanying, discerning and integrating weakness’ for Catholics living in irregular family situations. That chapter focuses on the need to support and integrate divorcees into the life of the Church, specifying that “in certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments”.
In his letter the Pope underlines the urgency of formation of priests for the practice of discernment, stressing that this is central to the task of accompanying families in difficulty. He calls for in-depth catechesis on the exhortation which he says will “certainly help the growth, consolidation and holiness of family life”.
Expressing his appreciation for the ‘pastoral charity’ contained in the bishops’ document, Pope Francis insists “there are no other interpretations” of the apostolic exhortation which he wrote at the conclusion of the two synods on the family in 2014 and 2015.
OFF THE COAST OF LIBYA (AP) -- When the camera's viewfinder is in "night vision" mode, a hidden world appears that is invisible to the naked eye in the darkness of night. Bathed in green, the view is even more dreamlike - or nightmarish....
OFF THE COAST OF LIBYA (AP) -- When the camera's viewfinder is in "night vision" mode, a hidden world appears that is invisible to the naked eye in the darkness of night. Bathed in green, the view is even more dreamlike - or nightmarish....
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Faced with a shrinking pool of inmates to help fight major wildfires, California is increasingly turning for new recruits to its state Conservation Corps, a program with roots in the Great Depression and a motto that promises "hard work, low pay, miserable conditions ... and more!"...
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Faced with a shrinking pool of inmates to help fight major wildfires, California is increasingly turning for new recruits to its state Conservation Corps, a program with roots in the Great Depression and a motto that promises "hard work, low pay, miserable conditions ... and more!"...
BERLIN (AP) -- The oft-delayed trial of a former SS medic who served at the Auschwitz death camp opened Monday in Germany, amid lingering questions about whether the 95-year-old is fit enough for the proceedings to continue....
BERLIN (AP) -- The oft-delayed trial of a former SS medic who served at the Auschwitz death camp opened Monday in Germany, amid lingering questions about whether the 95-year-old is fit enough for the proceedings to continue....
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) -- The mosque that Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen attended was set on fire in what Muslim leaders said Monday was the latest incident in an escalating campaign of harassment and violence against the house of worship and its members....
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) -- The mosque that Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen attended was set on fire in what Muslim leaders said Monday was the latest incident in an escalating campaign of harassment and violence against the house of worship and its members....
BEIRUT (AP) -- A U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire for Syria came into effect on Monday at sunset, with monitoring groups and state media reporting clashes up until the final minutes, and the most powerful rebel groups having yet to commit to the truce....
BEIRUT (AP) -- A U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire for Syria came into effect on Monday at sunset, with monitoring groups and state media reporting clashes up until the final minutes, and the most powerful rebel groups having yet to commit to the truce....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States and Russia could approve Syrian government airstrikes as part of a new nationwide cease-fire, Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday. It's the closest any American official has come to suggesting indirect U.S. cooperation with President Bashar Assad since the civil war started five years ago....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States and Russia could approve Syrian government airstrikes as part of a new nationwide cease-fire, Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday. It's the closest any American official has come to suggesting indirect U.S. cooperation with President Bashar Assad since the civil war started five years ago....
(Vatican Radio) “A discussion on economy is in no way a mere discussion on finance – which is only an instrument”.These were words of Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi during a Vatican press conference on Monday to present an upcoming ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ conference focusing on economy and social justice. The ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ Foundation is an initiative led by the Pontifical Council for Culture and its president, Cardinal Ravasi, following a suggestion of the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, to encourage dialogue between believers of all faiths and nonbelievers, often in the form of discussions between Ravasi and secular professors. Speaking to the media in the run up to the Conference entitled “Towards a more human and just economy. A new economic paradigm in a context of increasing inequalities” scheduled to take place on 21 September in Rome, Ravasi elaborated upon the issue at hand and introduced two of the...
(Vatican Radio) “A discussion on economy is in no way a mere discussion on finance – which is only an instrument”.
These were words of Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi during a Vatican press conference on Monday to present an upcoming ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ conference focusing on economy and social justice.
The ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ Foundation is an initiative led by the Pontifical Council for Culture and its president, Cardinal Ravasi, following a suggestion of the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, to encourage dialogue between believers of all faiths and nonbelievers, often in the form of discussions between Ravasi and secular professors.
Speaking to the media in the run up to the Conference entitled “Towards a more human and just economy. A new economic paradigm in a context of increasing inequalities” scheduled to take place on 21 September in Rome, Ravasi elaborated upon the issue at hand and introduced two of the other protagonists of the event: Daniele Mancini and Giuliano Amato.
Daniele Mancini is the Italian Ambassador to the Holy See which is hosting the Conference; former Italian Prime Minister, Giuliano Amato, is President of the “Courtyard of the Gentiles” which is spearheading the event.
During the press conference Ravasi reiterated that the themes chosen by the Foundation are closely interwoven with practical, concrete and vital issues that affect society.
Regarding the issue at hand, the Cardinal said that “to have a debate on economy does not mean to talk about finance: finance for me – he said – is an instrument and unfortunately today we witness a bulimia of instruments and anorexia of objectives”.
He explained that the Foundation provides a space within which participants can discuss issues from different perspectives and in total freedom.
Ravasi also pointed to the excellency of the speakers at the Conference which include Angus Deaton, 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics and Professor at Princeton University, Jean-Paul Fitoussi, economist and Professor at LUISS University and Dominique Y van der Mensbrugghe, economist and Professor at Purdue University.
He said that the discussion will focus on how increasing inequalities affect the individual, society and the economy and will address the need to define new economic model which is more human and more inclusive.
Following the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Pope Francis in Rome, Sept 4, dioceses, parishes and communities have been offering thanksgiving Masses for the sainthood of the Church’s latest saint. The Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar in eastern India’s Odisha state, is one such community that on Sunday offered a thanksgiving Mass for the sainthood of Mother Teresa. Welcomed by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity nuns, about 2,000 faithful, widows, orphans, sick, disabled and poor people participated in the Mass led by Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar in St Vincent’s Cathedral in the state capital Bhubaneshwar. "Saint Teresa represents the new identity of Christians and a model of goodness for humans in modern times,” Archbishop Barwa said in his homily. “Mother Teresa restored human dignity to people who were abandoned, forgotten, uncared for, not ...
Following the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Pope Francis in Rome, Sept 4, dioceses, parishes and communities have been offering thanksgiving Masses for the sainthood of the Church’s latest saint. The Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar in eastern India’s Odisha state, is one such community that on Sunday offered a thanksgiving Mass for the sainthood of Mother Teresa. Welcomed by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity nuns, about 2,000 faithful, widows, orphans, sick, disabled and poor people participated in the Mass led by Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar in St Vincent’s Cathedral in the state capital Bhubaneshwar. "Saint Teresa represents the new identity of Christians and a model of goodness for humans in modern times,” Archbishop Barwa said in his homily. “Mother Teresa restored human dignity to people who were abandoned, forgotten, uncared for, not respected, without recognition, and served them with love, with total commitment, loyalty and fraternity," he said. "The saint’s life and her example as the 'Mother of the Poor' speak eloquently to each of us, believers or non believers, and are clearly visible as a city on a hill,” Arch. Barwa said.
Hong Kong Diocese also offered a thanksgiving Mass on Sunday for Mother Teresa’s sainthood. The Mass, celebrated by Cardinals John Tong and Joseph Zen and the auxiliary bishops was attended by the Missionaries of Charity working in the diocese and more than a thousand faithful. In his homily, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-Shing, who is president of the Ad Hoc Commission for the Jubilee of Mercy, noted that the spiritual darkness and suffering that Mother Teresa quietly went through led her to an even deeper union with God.
15 Missionaries of Charity work throughout the territory of Hong Kong. They arrived in 1983. At the beginning their main service was visiting the sick in hospitals and the poor, the homeless, the Vietnamese refugees locked up in camps. Now they have two homes in the area and give hospitality and food to people who are alone and abandoned. The sisters are also in charge of girls and mothers fleeing domestic violence.
The Diocesan Committee for the Jubilee of Mercy, together with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has also prepared several events on the occasion of the canonization, including an exhibition on the new saint, titled "The Saint of Mercy, Mother Teresa", with some relics , photos, videos, films and meetings.
The city of Kolkata, India, which Mother Teresa adopted as her home town, will be celebrating a thanksgiving Mass in the city's Netaji Indoor Stadium on Oct. 2, This will be followed by civic event attended by state and city authorities. (Source: AsiaNews)
(Vatican Radio) As the deadline for the much anticipated cessation of hostilities looms, the people of Syria wait with baited breath.Bishop Antoine Audo, President of Caritas Syria spoke to Vatican Radio from his Aleppo headquarters and expressed his people’s hope for the silencing of all weapons… Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: “Everyone – especially here in Aleppo – is awaiting this change. We are hoping… we have been suffering for six years, and we are hoping for signs of peace and reconciliation. We are hoping…” Meanwhile, bishop Antoine Audo, President of the local Syrian Caritas organization that is fundamental in getting humanitarian assistance into the besieged city, says his people are working as always and are able now to bring food and medicine into the city, although he has heard that factions opposed to the new deal are planning to step up the bombing again on the city center…Of his com...
(Vatican Radio) As the deadline for the much anticipated cessation of hostilities looms, the people of Syria wait with baited breath.
Bishop Antoine Audo, President of Caritas Syria spoke to Vatican Radio from his Aleppo headquarters and expressed his people’s hope for the silencing of all weapons…
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:
“Everyone – especially here in Aleppo – is awaiting this change. We are hoping… we have been suffering for six years, and we are hoping for signs of peace and reconciliation. We are hoping…”
Meanwhile, bishop Antoine Audo, President of the local Syrian Caritas organization that is fundamental in getting humanitarian assistance into the besieged city, says his people are working as always and are able now to bring food and medicine into the city, although he has heard that factions opposed to the new deal are planning to step up the bombing again on the city center…
Of his community of Christians, Bishop Audo says: “they have welcomed the news with joy, but at the same time they are unbelieving”.
And again, he speaks of his hope for peace, for Aleppo, but also for the rest of Syria where he prays for a continued Christian presence.
And in line with Pope Francis, Bishop Audo reiterates his firm belief that the solution to the conflict must be a political one.
“Those who pursue a military solution want to destroy Syria” he says. But we need a political solution so that Syria can continue to exist as a peaceful and independent State, where people can work and live together.
