Catholic News 2
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (AP) -- Late at night, when helicopters thrum overhead and spotlights beam down onto lawns, many people here know exactly what's going on....
CAIRO (AP) -- Pope Francis urged Egypt's leading imams on Friday to teach their students to reject violence in God's name and preach messages of peace and tolerance instead, forging ahead with a delicate visit to the Arab world's most populous country following a spate of deadly Islamic militant attacks against Christians....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With just hours to spare, Congress easily approved a short-term spending bill Friday that would prevent a partial federal shutdown over the weekend. But on President Donald Trump's 99th day in office, lawmakers were leaving until next week without completing two other measures he's coveted: A Republican health care overhaul and a budget financing government for the entire year....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump will become the first sitting president to address a National Rifle Association convention in more than 30 years when he speaks Friday at the group's annual meeting....
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United States called for new sanctions on North Korea Friday and threatened to punish international companies doing banned business with the pariah nation's nuclear and missile programs. Doing nothing could be "catastrophic," top diplomat Rex Tillerson told a special U.N. Security Council session he chaired....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport on an Apostolic visit to Egypt. He is due to arrive in Cairo at 2pm this afternoon.Whilst there the Pope will meet with the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, as well as with Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Egypt’s al-Azhar university.The Holy Father will be in Egypt for just 24 hours on a visit that will include the solemn celebration of Mass on Saturday morning.Vatican Radio’s Stefano Leszczynski is in Cairo covering the Pope’s visit and spoke to us about expectations and the tight security for this trip.Listen:
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport on an Apostolic visit to Egypt. He is due to arrive in Cairo at 2pm this afternoon.
Whilst there the Pope will meet with the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, as well as with Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Egypt’s al-Azhar university.
The Holy Father will be in Egypt for just 24 hours on a visit that will include the solemn celebration of Mass on Saturday morning.
Vatican Radio’s Stefano Leszczynski is in Cairo covering the Pope’s visit and spoke to us about expectations and the tight security for this trip.
Listen:
(Vatican Radio) On the eve of his Apostolic Voyage to Egypt, Pope Francis on Thursday night made his way across Rome to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where prayed before the icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani – Mary, “Salvation of the Romans.”Pope Francis has made it a custom to visit the popular icon ahead of each of his Apostolic Voyages, in order to ask the intercession and protection of the Blessed Virgin.
(Vatican Radio) On the eve of his Apostolic Voyage to Egypt, Pope Francis on Thursday night made his way across Rome to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where prayed before the icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani – Mary, “Salvation of the Romans.”
Pope Francis has made it a custom to visit the popular icon ahead of each of his Apostolic Voyages, in order to ask the intercession and protection of the Blessed Virgin.
(Vatican Radio) As is customary, Pope Francis has sent telegrams to the leaders of the countries whose airspace he will be passing through in his travels.The Pope will be passing over just two countries – Italy and Greece – as he makes his way to Egypt for his 18th Apostolic Voyage outside of Italy.Below, please find the text of the telegrams sent by Pope Francis: To Sergio Mattarella,President of Italy,[English translation] As I leave Rome to go to Egypt as a pilgrim of peace, to meet the Catholic community and believers of different faiths, it is important to me to address to you, Mr President, my respectful greetings, which I accompany with fervent wishes for the spiritual, civil, and social well-being of the Italian people, to whom I gladly send my blessing. To Prokopis Pavlopoulos President of Greece[English original] As I fly over Greece on my way to Egypt for a pastoral visit, I send cordial greetings to your excellency and your fellow citizens. I pray...
(Vatican Radio) As is customary, Pope Francis has sent telegrams to the leaders of the countries whose airspace he will be passing through in his travels.
The Pope will be passing over just two countries – Italy and Greece – as he makes his way to Egypt for his 18th Apostolic Voyage outside of Italy.
Below, please find the text of the telegrams sent by Pope Francis:
To Sergio Mattarella,
President of Italy,
[English translation] As I leave Rome to go to Egypt as a pilgrim of peace, to meet the Catholic community and believers of different faiths, it is important to me to address to you, Mr President, my respectful greetings, which I accompany with fervent wishes for the spiritual, civil, and social well-being of the Italian people, to whom I gladly send my blessing.
To Prokopis Pavlopoulos
President of Greece
[English original] As I fly over Greece on my way to Egypt for a pastoral visit, I send cordial greetings to your excellency and your fellow citizens. I pray that the Almighty may bless you all with peace and strength, as I invoke divine blessings upon the nation.
Mexico City, Mexico, Apr 28, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Italian priest Sante Babolin said that Satan is behind several recent attacks in various parts of the world against the Virgin Mary, noting that she is a powerful advocate for him during exorcisms.“In my experience – so far I have performed 2,300 rites of exorcism – I can say that the invocation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary often provokes significant reactions in the person being exorcized,” he told Mexican weekly Desde la Fe.Fr. Babolin, who also taught at the Gregorian University in Rome, said that “in face of the failure of the onslaught by non-believers, now, in order to offend and confound the Catholic people, the Virgin Mary, whom the devil hates, is being attacked.”Desde la Fe noted the recent events of the Spanish drag queen Borja Casillas, who masqueraded as the Virgin Mary and mocked her in a performance, as well as a woman who dressed up as the Virgin Mary and simulated an a...
Mexico City, Mexico, Apr 28, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Italian priest Sante Babolin said that Satan is behind several recent attacks in various parts of the world against the Virgin Mary, noting that she is a powerful advocate for him during exorcisms.
“In my experience – so far I have performed 2,300 rites of exorcism – I can say that the invocation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary often provokes significant reactions in the person being exorcized,” he told Mexican weekly Desde la Fe.
Fr. Babolin, who also taught at the Gregorian University in Rome, said that “in face of the failure of the onslaught by non-believers, now, in order to offend and confound the Catholic people, the Virgin Mary, whom the devil hates, is being attacked.”
Desde la Fe noted the recent events of the Spanish drag queen Borja Casillas, who masqueraded as the Virgin Mary and mocked her in a performance, as well as a woman who dressed up as the Virgin Mary and simulated an abortion during a protest in Argentina.
The Italian exorcist said that “as proof of this hatred” of the devil toward the Mother of God, “while I was insistently invoking the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the devil answered me: 'I can't stand That One (Mary) any more and neither can I stand you any more.'”
Fr. Babolin also noted that “the Second Vatican Council declares that Mary, daughter of Adam, in accepting the divine message, became the Mother of Jesus, and embracing with her whole heart and without the hindrance of any sin the saving will of God, consecrated herself totally, as the servant of the Lord, to the person and work of her Son.”
The priest pointed out the passage in the book of Genesis – which is evoked in the Rite of Exorcism – where God says to the serpent that “she will crush your head.”
In this ritual, he said, the exorcist says to the devil: “Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church, torment God's elect and sift them as wheat (...) The sacred Sign of the Cross commands you, as does also the power of the mysteries of the Christian Faith (...) The glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you; she who by her humility and from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception crushed your proud head.”
Fr. Babolin also said that “the strongest reactions” of the devil during the exorcism occur “when references are made to her apparitions.”
Because of this, he frequently pronounces the name of Holy Mary with her titles of Lourdes, Fatima or Guadalupe. In the latter case, he said, “I use this formula: 'Holy Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen of Tepeyac.'”
The exorcist warned that “the instrument the (the devil) normally uses to trap us is money, since it offers the possibility of satisfying the impulses that converge in pleasure and power.”
Satan “subjugates us to himself manipulating the truth and offering us his dazzling light, showing us his version of 'freedom' and promising us the instant gratification of our whims.”
“As far as interpersonal communication, the sense of sight overtakes the sense of hearing; and consequently the image over the word; that is to say, desire precedes reflection,” he said.
Fr. Babolin encouraged Catholics to denounce attacks on the faith as well as to organize and participate in prayer events, pray the Rosary, and participate in Masses at places where offenses were committed.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. economy likely slowed significantly in the first three months of the year, though economists foresee a sharp rebound in the current April-June quarter on the strength of solid job growth, higher consumer confidence and stock-market records....
