Archbishop warns of religious freedom erosion in Australia, calls for 'saints for our time'

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia. / Credit: EWTN NewsCNA Newsroom, Jun 10, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney has raised the alarm over Australia's incremental erosion of religious freedom in health care, education, and broader society.In a written interview with CNA, the Dominican friar described the situation as a "house of human rights built on sand," calling on Catholics "to be serious about being saints for our time."Fisher, a member of several Vatican bodies, pointed to "lawfare" and "many more examples of legislative or policy moves in our federal and state governments that are hostile to religion."He warned of the consequences of legislative and bureaucratic actions, which, he argued, can shred the very fabric of religious liberty.Bans on silent prayer and requirement of 'kill teams'Fisher told CNA that the pace has notably quickened in recent years, pointing to authorities targeting silent prayer in public."If we consider life issue...

The Humanality movement: 'creating new rituals' to use technology 'with intention'

Humanality club members at University of Dallas. / Credit: Video shot by Charles LongoriaCNA Staff, Jun 9, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).When Catholic musician Andrew Laubacher decided to quit social media in 2018, drained from a music career that had him on social media constantly, he couldn't foresee that five years later he would be helping to lead a movement dedicated to encouraging others to break their own tech addictions."I just was not happy with how all these platforms were just becoming so all-consuming," Lauchbacher told CNA in a phone call. "So [in] 2018, I decided to give up all my social media and go back to a flip phone. I told my record label and management at the time I was going to do that. They were like, 'That's a horrible decision. You're not going to get any events.'""I just knew God was calling me to do it," he explained. "I did it and deleted everything, went to a flip phone, and just experienced so many amazing things in regards to my relationships, my mental h...

Group of religious sisters surprised to be walking the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage 

Four religious sisters of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love joined "EWTN News In Depth" on May 24, 2024, to discuss their experience thus far on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. / Credit: EWTN News In Depth/ScreenshotCNA Staff, Jun 9, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is beginning its third week, bringing Catholics from across the United States together through Eucharistic processions across the country. One special group who joined the pilgrims on the Elizabeth Ann Seton Route, the route that began in the Northeast, is made up of four religious sisters from the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love.The group of sisters joined "EWTN News In Depth" on May 24 to share how they became involved in the pilgrimage and their experience so far.When the Eucharistic Revival first began, the sisters were asked by their bishop to be the point people for the diocese. They went on to organize the diocesan Eucharistic Revival and during this pa...

Pope Francis: Money, power, pleasure can enslave us

Pope Francis waves to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square to hear his Angelus address n Sunday, June 9, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Jun 9, 2024 / 09:05 am (CNA).Pope Francis urged people to reflect on Sunday on whether they are sacrificing their serenity and freedom to be enslaved by money, power, and pleasure.Speaking in his Angelus address on June 9, the pope asked people to contemplate the temptations that can imprison us and the freedom found in Christ"If we let ourselves be conditioned by the quest for pleasure, power, money, or consensus, we become slaves to these things," he said."If instead we allow God's freely-given love to fill us and expand our heart, and if we let it overflow spontaneously by giving it back to others with our whole selves without fear, calculation, or conditioning, then we grow in freedom and spread its good fragrance around us in our homes, in our families, and in our communities."In his speech from the window of the Vatic...

Pope Francis to meet Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, other top comedians at Vatican

Stephen Colbert and Pope Francis. / Credit: Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Jun 8, 2024 / 08:11 am (CNA).It's no joke: Pope Francis will take the mic in front of over 100 comics, stand-up comedians, and humorists, including Americans Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, at the Vatican next Friday.Jim Gaffigan, Conan O'Brien, Chris Rock, Tig Notaro, and Whoopi Goldberg are the other U.S. comedians expected to take part.The June 14 meeting was organized by the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education and Dicastery for Communication and "aims to establish a link between the Catholic Church and comic artists," according to a June 8 press release.As of June 8, a list of 105 comics and humorists from 15 countries had confirmed their participation in the papal audience. The Vatican said the encounter intends "to celebrate the beauty of human diversity and promote a message of peace, love, and solidarity, and promises to be a meaning...

Music is a universal language: Pope Francis sings praises of Catholic choirs

Pope Francis greets participants in a gathering of choir singers, musicians, and directors at Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on June 8, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Jun 8, 2024 / 13:50 pm (CNA).Pope Francis praised Catholic choir members of all ages on Saturday, calling music "a universal and immediate language."Choir members and musicians provide a "precious service" to the Church, he said on the morning of June 8 in an audience with parish and diocesan choirs, scholæ cantorum, directors, and musicians.Speaking in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the pope said, "Music creates harmony, thereby reaching everyone, consoling those who suffer, rekindling enthusiasm in the downhearted, and bringing forth wonderful values such as beauty and poetry, which reflect God's harmonious light."Music, indeed," he added, "is a universal and immediate language that requires no translation or elaborate explanation."Approximately 300 singers and 80 musicians are taking part this weekend in...

Opus Dei updates outreach to young people with new website: 'Youth'

null / Credit: Dmitry Molchanov/ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Jun 7, 2024 / 06:40 am (CNA).Opus Dei this week launched a new website, "Youth," the goal of which is "to help young people live their faith in the 21st century through videos, articles, podcasts, and interviews on the topics that most challenge them," the prelature said in a statement.With both design and content tailored to the ages 18-26 demographic, the new project, launched in English and Spanish, incorporates what has been posted so far by Opus Dei on different social media (Instagram, Spotify, and YouTube) since January of this year.The new website offers testimonies on social initiatives, podcasts with prayer resources, infographics on Catholic doctrine, and studies on friendship and family life from a Catholic perspective.In addition, the website offers reflections, articles, and teachings from the founder of Opus Dei, St. Josémaría Escrivá de Balaguer.The new website has four sections: "St. Raphael" (which ...

Everything you need to know about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

An image of the Sacred Heart in the Church of the Jesu in Rome. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNAWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 7, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave, which in 2024 is on June 7. What exactly is the meaning behind this feast day? Below are answers to some common questions.Why do Catholics venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus?"Devoting ourselves to the Sacred Heart is one of the easiest, fastest, and most pleasant ways to grow in holiness," Father Ambrose Dobrozsi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told CNA."Many saints have done many things to grow close to Jesus Christ, but no way is more sure and more pleasing to him than to consecrate ourselves to his Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of his mother," he added.Where does devotion to the Sacred Heart come from?The story behind the modern iteration of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, however, begins on Dec. ...

Bishop exhorts Catholics to 'build a better Europe' in EU elections on Sunday

Bishop Mariano Crociata meets with Pope Francis on March 23, 2023. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, Jun 7, 2024 / 14:45 pm (CNA).The president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), Bishop Mariano Crociata, encouraged all European citizens, and especially Catholics, to participate in the elections for the European Parliament that will culminate this Sunday, June 9.In his exhortation, Crociata called on voters to exercise their obligation as citizens "responsibly, choosing candidates and parties that continue to build a better Europe for all.""The European Union (EU) is not perfect, but we want to improve it together using the democratic tools we have, starting with our right to vote," Crociata said.The Italian prelate representing the European bishops also stressed the importance of building "a better Europe for all with shared and authentic values."A better Europe, Crociata continued, includes "shared and genuine values" that "pro...

Doctors urge U.S. medical groups to 'immediately stop' transgender treatments on children

Jill Simons, the executive director of the American College of Pediatricians (left) and Catholic Medical Association Executive Director Mario Dickerson (center) talk with "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Tracy Sabol on June 6, 2024. / Credit: "EWTN News Nightly"/YouTubeCNA Staff, Jun 7, 2024 / 14:00 pm (CNA).Top medical groups and physicians have signed a "Doctors Protecting Children" declaration that expresses "serious concerns" about the treatment of minors who are uncomfortable with their biological sex, one advocate told EWTN News this week. Jill Simons, the executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, told "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Tracy Sabol on Thursday that the medical group has been "sounding the alarm" after the recently leaked files from the World Professional Association of Transgender Health in which transgender advocates admitted that children who receive permanently life-changing transgender procedures are too young to be capable of giving informe...