VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The only acceptable form of extremism for a Christian is an “extremism of love,” Pope Francis said, concelebrating Mass with bishops from throughout the Mediterranean basin. “‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ This is the Christian innovation. It is the Christian difference,” the pope said Feb. 23
Vatican City, Feb 26, 2020 / 11:00 am (CNA).- On Ash Wednesday, Pope Francis called on Catholics to go to Confession during Lent to experience God’s healing love. “We can receive God’s forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance because there the fire of God’s love consumes the ashes of our sin. The embrace of the
(CNA).- Pope Francis urged Catholics Wednesday to use the season of Lent to spend less time immersed in the chatter and noise of the world through television and their phones, and to spend more time in silence and in conversation with God. “Lent is the right time to make room for the Word of God.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The most important members of the Catholic Church are not the ones who hold lofty titles and high positions but rather those who humbly serve others, Pope Francis said. “Who is the most important person in the church? The pope, the bishops, the monsignors, the cardinals, the pastors of the most
BOSTON (CNS) — The extra day we get approximately once every four years is a way to adapt the calendar year to the astronomical year. But did you know the present system of calculating the leap years was designed around fixing the date of Easter? While the concept of the leap year has been around
WASHINGTON (CNS) — When it comes to the three pillars of Lent, almsgiving is a little bit like the middle child, not always getting the attention that prayer and fasting do. The word hardly rolls off the tongue and people don’t talk about it as they might discuss what they are giving up for Lent
DETROIT (CNS) — There’s no such thing as the perfect Catholic family. Days of joy, celebration and happiness can be followed by challenges, heartbreak and, at times, chaos brought on by contemporary hectic lifestyles. At their best, however, Father Stephen Pullis, director of evangelization, catechesis and schools for the Archdiocese of Detroit, knows that Catholic
(CNA) In a pastoral letter anticipating the beginning of Lent on Wednesday, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan has asked that the faithful not clap in church, either during or after Mass. “The season of Lent has a somber purple color. It has a sober and calm aura. The altar decors are restrained. The musical instruments
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis formally recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager who the pope has said is a role model for young men and women today. In a meeting Feb. 22 with Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, the pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus wants his followers to move from a formal observance of God’s commands to an interior acceptance of them and, in that way, to no longer be slaves to sin and selfishness, Pope Francis said. “He encourages passing from a formal observance of the law to a substantial observance, welcoming the
