VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While the coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions have interrupted people's lives and brought suffering on a global scale, every individual -- including the pope -- has or will experience traumatic interruptions in their lives, Pope Francis said in a new book.
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A delegation representing the National Basketball Players Association, a union representing professional athletes from the NBA, met with Pope Francis and spoke with him about their work in promoting social justice.
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WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Spain's Catholic bishops warned of a "deep wound" left by rising inequality and moral collapse during the COVID-19 crisis, as churches across Europe also cited plummeting incomes and deteriorating conditions.
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MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said he will not "walk away" from leadership of the church amid pressure to resign over his handling of child abuse cases. Cardinal Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, has faced calls from sexual abuse survivors, lawyers and the media to step down since an inquiry into child abuse concluded that he showed neither compassion nor leadership in confronting the problem in at least two instances.
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- One of the most frequently expressed questions during an international religious freedom symposium Nov. 19 was whether the attention granted to religious freedom during the past four years would continue with the next administration.
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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (CNS) -- The internationally acclaimed Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Exhibition with its 34 life-size reproductions is designed to give visitors a closer look at the frescoes that adorn the ceiling of the chapel at the Vatican than if they visited in person.
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BONN, Germany (CNS) -- Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse has stepped down from his post as spiritual assistant to the Central Committee of German Catholics, the most important laypeople's organization of the church in Germany, pending clarification of all the allegations about his possible role in covering up sexual abuse cases during his time in Cologne.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) -- Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland publicly expressed "great disappointment and frustration" over Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's new statewide restrictions that limit faith gatherings to 25 people.
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was forced to resign due to allegations of financial malfeasance, filed a lawsuit against an Italian magazine, claiming it ruined his reputation, which resulted in him losing his chance at becoming pope.
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The former rector of a minor seminary located in the Vatican denied knowing about the alleged sexual abuse of a student, but instead alleged that the victim and his friend, who claimed he witnessed the abuse, were motivated by money.
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BRAINTREE -- In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Black Catholic Ministries of the archdiocese held a virtual celebration on Nov. 14 in lieu of their annual Bishop James Augustine Healy dinner. The hour-long event honored all past Bishop James Augustine Healy Award and Robert Leo Ruffin Award recipients.
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BOSTON -- The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts are voicing opposition to the state legislature's efforts to push forward several key elements of the controversial ROE Act in the form of a budget amendment.
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BOSTON -- Catholic Charities of Boston announced on Nov. 12 that Kelley Tuthill will serve as the organization's chief operating officer, a newly created position. The former WCVB-TV journalist most recently served as the vice president of marketing and communications at Regis College.
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BOSTON -- The archdiocese is urging parishes to continue to "exercise maximum caution" against the coronavirus despite many cities and towns no longer being classified as high-risk on the state's color-coded COVID-19 map.
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BRAINTREE -- During the fall assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Nov. 16-17, Bishop Robert P. Reed was selected to be the next chairman of the conference's Committee on Communications.
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On Friday, I had a Zoom meeting with FOCUS campus missionaries in the archdiocese. Ordinarily, we would meet for a dinner and a time of dialogue, but this time we did it virtually. The gathering was a chance for them to share with me, and with each other, some of their experiences working in the various universities during the pandemic. A number of the priests who are university chaplains were part of the meeting, as well, and they spoke about how wonderful it was to have the collaboration of the FOCUS missionaries.
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ALBANY, N.Y. (CNS) -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's order limiting the size of a congregation for in-person services at Catholic churches and other houses of worship does not target religious gatherings on "the basis of their beliefs," but is based on "the documented fact of their COVID-19 super-spreader potential."
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- There's a theater adage that if you have a lousy dress rehearsal, you're likely to have a great performance. Well, what if you had four dress rehearsals -- twice as many as you had anticipated -- and the outlook was still dodgy?
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In response to the upcoming federal execution of Orlando Hall Nov. 19, and two more federal executions scheduled to take place in December, two U.S. bishops' committee chairmen called on the government to end this practice.
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Government leaders and authorities must not exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to discredit political rivals but instead set aside differences to find "viable solutions for our people," Pope Francis said.
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Despite quickly shifting travel restrictions in place during the global pandemic, the majority of cardinals-designate were planning to attend the Vatican ceremony to receive their red hats and cardinal's rings.
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BRAINTREE, Mass. (CNS) -- The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts Nov. 17 urged the state Senate to reject a budget amendment that would allow girls as young as 16 to get an abortion with the consent of a guardian or a court.
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The U.S. bishops approved a budget for the year 2021 that has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The vote was 193-1 with four abstentions. The vote was taken via email Nov. 16, the first day of the bishops' Nov. 16-17 fall general meeting, conducted entirely online this year, with the email vote totals announced Nov. 17. The vote required a simple majority of bishops present and voting.
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Two women who lead groups that advise the U.S. bishops on key issues, encouraged them Nov. 16 to continue holding dialogues on racism, reaching out to Catholics during the pandemic and letting Catholics know about their efforts to prevent abuse in the church.
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