Catholic News 2
Lawmakers in every state have adopted laws requiring most government meetings and records to be open to the public. But in some states, lawmakers have exempted themselves from complying....
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky state Sen. Chris McDaniel's constituents know that he's contributed $5,575.79 to his state retirement account, that it has collected $104.38 in interest and that it has a balance of $5,680.17....
LONDON (AP) -- Scotland's leader says she doesn't want to use a possible British vote to leave the European Union as leverage to achieve independence. But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon concedes that Scots' secessionist spirits would be inflamed if English voters forced them out of the EU....
PARIS (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called for the resumption of Syria peace talks Monday in Geneva following a meeting with France's new foreign minister and other senior European diplomats....
ATLANTA (AP) -- Republican presidential primary leader Donald Trump says he will consider paying the legal fees of a North Carolina man captured on video sucker-punching a protester at one of the billionaire's signature mass rallies....
LE BOURGET, France (AP) -- Aviation agencies around the world should draw up new rules requiring medical workers to warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety, French investigators recommended Sunday after a yearlong probe into the Germanwings plane crash....
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) -- Bursts of gunfire were heard Sunday in a southeastern Ivory Coast beach town about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Abidjan, said a witness, in what is the third major attack on a tourism center in a West African country since November....
(Vatican Radio) US Secretary of State John Kerry has extended official congratulations to Pope Francis on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Holy Father's election to the See of Peter. In a press statement released through the Dept. of State, Sec. Kerry thanks Pope Francis for his role in renewing his country's diplomatic relations with Cuba, and praises the Holy Father's efforts to facilitate dialogue between the Colombian government and FARC rebels. Kerry also praises the Pope's moral leadership on a host of issues including responsible care for creation, our duty to care for refugees, and the need to protect religious freedom. Kerry says, "On this special day, I join men and women across the globe in congratulating the Holy Father and in wishing him continued success in leading the Catholic Church and appealing to the better angels within us all."Please find the full statement, below**********************************************On behalf of P...
(Vatican Radio) US Secretary of State John Kerry has extended official congratulations to Pope Francis on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Holy Father's election to the See of Peter. In a press statement released through the Dept. of State, Sec. Kerry thanks Pope Francis for his role in renewing his country's diplomatic relations with Cuba, and praises the Holy Father's efforts to facilitate dialogue between the Colombian government and FARC rebels. Kerry also praises the Pope's moral leadership on a host of issues including responsible care for creation, our duty to care for refugees, and the need to protect religious freedom. Kerry says, "On this special day, I join men and women across the globe in congratulating the Holy Father and in wishing him continued success in leading the Catholic Church and appealing to the better angels within us all."
Please find the full statement, below
**********************************************
On behalf of President Obama, the Department of State, and the people of the United States, Teresa and I offer our warmest congratulations to His Holiness Pope Francis on the third anniversary of his election as Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Last fall, I was honored to join in welcoming the Holy Father on his first papal visit to our country, and, like millions of other Americans, I was inspired and moved by his powerful words at events in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., including his memorable address to the United States Congress.
The United States is grateful for His Holiness’ role in renewing our diplomatic ties with Cuba. The Holy Father was instrumental in encouraging talks between our two countries, and the United States will continue to seek his support as we proceed with our renewed bilateral relationship with Cuba. We also greatly appreciate the Holy Father’s support for Colombia and the FARC to successfully negotiate a peace agreement.
I believe that Americans -- Catholics and non-Catholics alike -- share His Holiness’ conviction that we must do all we can to protect the environmental health of our planet, to uphold the common good, to promote religious freedom, to care for refugees and others who are disadvantaged, and to strive for justice and peace. Many around the world are inspired by his dedication to helping the marginalized and disadvantaged. We share His Holiness’ conviction that all people have dignity and worth and that we must strive to help everyone reach his or her full potential.
On this special day, I join men and women across the globe in congratulating the Holy Father and in wishing him continued success in leading the Catholic Church and appealing to the better angels within us all.
Rome, Italy, Mar 13, 2016 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go to confession with Pope Francis?One American studying in Rome recently got an answer to that question. And she the called the experience a genuine encounter with a spiritual father – that was also surprisingly normal.“Pope Francis practices what he preaches when he speaks of being a tender father in the confessional,” Leslie Knopf told CNA March 11.She said the Pope was very kind during the whole confession and was intentional in understanding her and where she was coming from. However, he also made sure to get to the heart of the matter being discussed.“It was the most private audience you could ever have with the Pope, because no one would interrupt us, it was just one-on-one to be able to receive the mercy of God in that moment,” she said.Knopf said she was “completely comfortable” being herself, and that she and the Pope even shared ...
Rome, Italy, Mar 13, 2016 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go to confession with Pope Francis?
One American studying in Rome recently got an answer to that question. And she the called the experience a genuine encounter with a spiritual father – that was also surprisingly normal.
“Pope Francis practices what he preaches when he speaks of being a tender father in the confessional,” Leslie Knopf told CNA March 11.
She said the Pope was very kind during the whole confession and was intentional in understanding her and where she was coming from. However, he also made sure to get to the heart of the matter being discussed.
“It was the most private audience you could ever have with the Pope, because no one would interrupt us, it was just one-on-one to be able to receive the mercy of God in that moment,” she said.
Knopf said she was “completely comfortable” being herself, and that she and the Pope even shared a few laughs over some Italian words she had difficulty pronouncing. The Pope, she said, “was fully present to the needs of my soul.”
“It was a true experience of mercy, which is not merely saying that everything is okay, but truly a call to conversion.”
Knopf, originally from Louisville, Ken., is currently earning her licentiate in Internal Church Communications at Rome’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. She also serves as Communications Director for Catholic Bytes, and director for a new initiative called Misericordia Media.
She was one of several individuals who had the opportunity to go to confession with Pope Francis March 4 during his annual “24 Hours for the Lord” event, which takes place the fourth Friday and Saturday of Lent inside St. Peter’s Basilica.
A worldwide initiative led by Pope Francis, the event points to confession as a primary way to experience God's merciful embrace. It was launched in 2014 under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
As part of the penitential service, Pope Francis went to confession himself before administering the sacrament himself to a number of individuals, one of whom was Knopf.
She said that she had no idea she would be confessing with the Pope, and only found out the day before. “It was a total surprise,” she said, explaining that she was selected due to her involvement with Misericordia Media.
An initiative of the Jubilee of Mercy, the Misericordia Media is a project of Catholic Bytes and offers an audio reflection for pilgrims walking through the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as a brief, 10 minute video on the presence of the theme of mercy throughout the basilica.
Knopf said that during the confession, Pope Francis gave her general advice which is applicable to all areas of her life.
“He said that when discerning the will of God, it is really easy – you just have to ask and pray and he will let you know. So ask and pray to the Lord on every step of the way and he will let you know as it comes.”
She said it was particularly meaningful to go to confession with the Pope during the Jubilee of Mercy, since he has placed such a strong emphasis on the sacrament during the Holy Year.
“That was one of the main points of my experience that was so beautiful,” she said, adding that another significant part of the confession was that it was so “beautifully normal.”
“It really put into perspective that I’m meeting Christ in the confessional,” Knopf said, noting that every time she goes to confession Christ is the one forgiving her sins, “and my preparation should reflect that regardless of who is acting as his representative in the confessional, whether that be a first year priest or the Vicar of Christ on earth.”
For those who are afraid to go to confession or who haven’t been in years, Knopf told them not to be afraid, and to focus on what Pope Francis has often said during the Jubilee: that in the confessional, it is the “merciful face of Christ” that we encounter.
“There is nothing you can take to the confessional that won’t be forgiven,” she said, adding that confession is above all “a sacrament of love,” so there is nothing to fear.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkish authorities on Sunday declared new 24-hour, indefinite curfews for two mainly-Kurdish towns where Turkey's security forces are set to launch large-scale operations to battle Kurdish militants....
