Catholic News 2
NEW YORK (AP) -- For days, the charred school bus sat in front of a Jewish girls' school in Brooklyn, its ruined hulk posing a troubling question: Has the quarter-century of peace between blacks and Jews in Crown Heights begun to fray?...
BEIRUT (AP) -- The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said Saturday that the explosion in Damascus that killed its top militant commander was caused by insurgent shelling and vowed to continue fighting alongside the Syrian government until the rebels are defeated....
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- From locker rooms and sex education classes to dress codes and overnight field trips, many U.S. public schools already are balancing the civil rights of transgender students with any concerns that classmates, parents and community members might have....
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Rock concert rallies versus intimate town halls. Adoring groupies versus dutiful voters. Sweeping promises versus targeted proposals....
Self-expression is hardly a part of life for cadets at the United States Military Academy....
(Vatican Radio) A new British parliamentary report says that more than 1,000 people fleeing war and poverty are known to have died crossing from Libya to Italy this year alone, despite European Union measures aimed at stemming the flow of refugees. The announcement comes while medics rush to carry out an emergency vaccination program.Listen to Stefan Bos' report:
(Vatican Radio) A new British parliamentary report says that more than 1,000 people fleeing war and poverty are known to have died crossing from Libya to Italy this year alone, despite European Union measures aimed at stemming the flow of refugees. The announcement comes while medics rush to carry out an emergency vaccination program.
Listen to Stefan Bos' report:
(Vatican Radio) For his monthly ‘Mercy Friday’ in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis visited on Friday the Community of ‘Chicco’ in Ciampino, on the outskirts of Rome.L’Arche (The Ark) was founded by Jean Vanier in 1964 and is now present in over 30 countries on 5 continents. The organization provides loving homes for vulnerable people who live together in a supportive community.The Chicco community was founded in 1981 and houses 18 people with intellectual challenges. The L’Arche philosophy is "the praise of imperfection," that is, to thrive amidst disabilities that the world doesn’t value. The residents of L’Arche are free to make their own way in life, to give and receive deep affection and to form lasting friendships. Pope Francis visited L’Arche as a move to emphasize the value of such principles over an ephemeral, disposable culture.At Chicco Pope Francis sat with residents and shared a snack with them and ...
(Vatican Radio) For his monthly ‘Mercy Friday’ in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis visited on Friday the Community of ‘Chicco’ in Ciampino, on the outskirts of Rome.
L’Arche (The Ark) was founded by Jean Vanier in 1964 and is now present in over 30 countries on 5 continents. The organization provides loving homes for vulnerable people who live together in a supportive community.
The Chicco community was founded in 1981 and houses 18 people with intellectual challenges. The L’Arche philosophy is "the praise of imperfection," that is, to thrive amidst disabilities that the world doesn’t value. The residents of L’Arche are free to make their own way in life, to give and receive deep affection and to form lasting friendships. Pope Francis visited L’Arche as a move to emphasize the value of such principles over an ephemeral, disposable culture.
At Chicco Pope Francis sat with residents and shared a snack with them and the volunteers who live with them. He listened to residents named Nadia, Salvatore, Vittorio, Paolo, Maria Grazia, Danilo, Armando and Fabio who shared their joy of meeting the Holy Father.
The philosophy of L’Arche also values the manual effort of residents and exercising creativity. The Holy Father visited Chicco’s workshop where residents work every day to make crafts. Afterwards, while joining hands, Pope Francis prayed with residents in the chapel.
The Chicco community survives on donations and subsidies and so before leaving, Pope Francis made a personal contribution of pasta, fruits, cherries and peaches which were welcomed with the joy and applause of residents.
Pope Francis has identified this visit as one of the most profound of his pontificate. In the Jubilee year so far more than 7 million have attended jubilee events and the visit to Chicco marks the fifth such event undertaken by Pope Francis. In January he visited a nursing home for the elderly, in February, a community treating drug addicts, in March, a reception centre for refugees and in April the Island of Lesbos in Greece.
(Vatican Radio) For those gathered at an extraordinary Jubilee General Audience at St Peter’s Square Saturday, Pope Francis said piety is not necessarily about devotion but more like “pity.” The pope’s catechesis for the occasion developed piety as one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.“When we hear this word,” he said, “we think of a certain religiosity or devotion, but its meaning is much richer; like our word ‘pity’, it has to do with compassion, with mercy.”As a concept, piety has its roots in the Greco-Roman world, where piety meant an act of submission to superior authority. This submission was first to the gods, then of children to parents and the elderly. Today, the Pope said, we must be careful not to identify piety with a pietism which is just a superficial emotion. Also, piety should not be confused with the feelings some have for pets while remaining indifferent to the suffering of others.In the Gospe...
(Vatican Radio) For those gathered at an extraordinary Jubilee General Audience at St Peter’s Square Saturday, Pope Francis said piety is not necessarily about devotion but more like “pity.” The pope’s catechesis for the occasion developed piety as one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
“When we hear this word,” he said, “we think of a certain religiosity or devotion, but its meaning is much richer; like our word ‘pity’, it has to do with compassion, with mercy.”
As a concept, piety has its roots in the Greco-Roman world, where piety meant an act of submission to superior authority. This submission was first to the gods, then of children to parents and the elderly. Today, the Pope said, we must be careful not to identify piety with a pietism which is just a superficial emotion. Also, piety should not be confused with the feelings some have for pets while remaining indifferent to the suffering of others.
In the Gospels, the pope continued, Jesus is attentive to pleas for mercy. He is sensitive to human needs and he responds with sympathy and love. He encourages us to trust in him and his word, and he works his miracles of healing.
We are called to imitate the Lord’s piety towards those who cry out to him by rising above our indifference and isolation, and becoming more concerned for the needs of all our brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis asked that Mary, as the Mother of Mercy, obtain for us the grace to live this Year of Mercy by growing in compassion and by imitating the infinite piety of Jesus her Son.
Pope Francis concluded his address by saluting pilgrims from England and the Philippines. “In the joy of the risen Lord,” he said, “I invoke upon you and your families the merciful love of God our Father. The Lord bless you!”
MIAMI (AP) -- The Miami Heat went small, and came up big....
MANSFIELD, Texas (AP) -- A Siamese cat recently cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest living cat did not live to enjoy the title....
