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(Vatican Radio) The way a country responds to the needs of migrants and refugees is a “thermometer” of the wellbeing of that society. That’s the view of Canadian Jesuit Father Michael Czerny, recently appointed as undersecretary of the Vatican’s new department for Integral Human Development.Alongside Italian Scalabrini Father Fabio Baggio, Fr Michael took up his new post on January 1st, In charge of the section dealing with refugees, migrants and survivors of human trafficking. Answering directly to Pope Francis, he sees his “modest but ambitious mission” as helping the Church to accompany forced migrants at all stages of their challenging and often perilous journey.As the child of a refugee family himself, Fr Michael believes that “with a little bit of sharing of the enormous resources available throughout the world”, countries can “very comfortably and very securely and very profitably” provide for the needs of all peop...
IMAGE: By Dave HrbacekST.PAUL, Minn. (CNS) -- It didn't take long for Nicky Peters to feel the drama ofbeing a sidewalk counselor outside Planned Parenthood in St. Paul.The19-year-old sophomore at St. Catherine University in St. Paul and member of St.Ambrose Parish in Woodbury had decided last spring to take her pro-life passionto the streets. She signed up to volunteer with Pro-Life Action Ministries inSt. Paul and paired with Ann Redding, the organization's sidewalk counselingcoordinator.Thispast June, the two showed up hoping to encounter women with unwantedpregnancies. It was Peters' first time."Thatday was amazing," she told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese ofSt. Paul and Minneapolis. "I met Ann there, and within the first hour, a womancame up to us and told her (Ann) that she had changed her mind about having anabortion, but she had already had part of the procedure done."Thewoman told them that clinic workers had inserted laminaria sticks to helpdilate her ce...
By Mark PattisonWASHINGTON(CNS) -- Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York warned that if the sanctuary ofthe womb is violated, then other sanctuaries are at risk."Canany of us be safe, can any of us claim a sanctuary anywhere when the first andmost significant sanctuary of them all, the mother's womb protecting a tinylife, can be raided and ravaged?" he asked in his homily during the Jan. 26opening Mass for the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of theImmaculate Conception. The vigil always precedes the annual March for Life, which takes place on the National Mall.CardinalDolan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called the womb "a sanctuary which beckons us, where weare safe and secure in our mother's tender yet strong embrace, where theCreator himself assures us of protection and life itself, a sanctuary God hasdesigned for us to protect our lives now and in eternity."Hesummoned up a montage of ...
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Rafael Nadal took five sets and almost five hours to fend off "Baby Fed" and revive a classic Grand Slam final against the one-and-only Roger Federer....
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- For decades, bars along Bourbon Street have had an open-door policy, enticing anyone over 21 to walk in at all hours with drink specials, blaring music and neon lights. Come in, order a drink and carry it back out to the street, if you like....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. economy lost momentum in the final three months of 2016, closing out a year in which growth turned in the weakest performance in five years....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- For the first time in years, abortion opponents will have all the political momentum when they hold their annual rally Friday on the National Mall....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Though "Obamacare" still divides Americans, a majority worries many will lose coverage if the 2010 law is repealed in the nation's long-running political standoff over health care....
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican’s permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has marked “Holocaust Remembrance Day” with an appeal to never forget the lessons of the past.At a OSCE Permanent Council meeting, Msgr Janusz Urbanczyk said: “the Holocaust teaches us that utmost vigilance is always needed to be able to take prompt action in defense of human dignity and peace.”Quoting from Pope Francis who said that the cruelty that was perpetrated in the Nazi stermination camps is still around today, Urbanczyk said “the International Holocaust Remembrance Day should (...)help us to ‘go beyond evil and differences’, and open every possible pathway of peace and hope in our world of today.Please find below Msgr Urbanczyk’s full statement for ‘Holocaust Remembrance Day’: Mr. Chairman,I gladly join previous speakers in welcoming to the Permanent Council Ambassador Mihnea Constant...
(Vatican Radio) Dutch Justice Minister, Ard van der Steur, has resigned in a row over a 2001 compensation payment to a convicted drug trafficker. His departure is seen as a blow to the government of Liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte ahead of upcoming elections.Listen to the report by Stefan Bos: The visibly emotional Van der Steur resigned after a six-hour grilling by opposition parties. "I see, I notice and I feel that my answers don't matter....Many already have already drawn their political conclusions," he told Parliament. He added he wanted to defend himself against trumped-up charges. But now, he said, "I'm handing in my resignation to his Majesty the King (Willem-Alexander). Thank you." Minister Van der Steur is the third member of Prime Minister Rutte's government to resign over the scandal.Former Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten and his junior minister, Fred Teeven, resigned in 2015 after misleading parliament over the 2001 deal.MUC...
