VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When done ethically and free of charge, organ donation is a selfless gesture that contributes to fostering a culture of life, Pope Francis said. Christians who donate their organs offer “a gift to the suffering Lord who said that everything we have done for a brother or sister in need we
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Marking retired Pope Benedict XVI’s 92nd birthday, the editorial director of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication insisted what the retired pope wrote about facing the clerical sexual abuse crisis is essentially what Pope Francis has said, too. “Celebrating Joseph Ratzinger’s birthday, it can be useful to underline the approach that both
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Acclaimed by the crowds and knowing he was the Messiah they sought, Jesus still chose the path of humility and self-emptying, focused only on doing God’s will, Pope Francis said on Palm Sunday. “There is no negotiating with the cross: one either embraces it or rejects it,” the pope told tens
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus doesn’t hurl stones at sinners but instead shows them that his forgiveness always opens a path forward to a joyful future, Pope Francis said. Like the scribes and Pharisees who laid down the stones they were going to throw at a woman caught in adultery, Christians are called during the
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Sometimes Christians seem to prefer complaining and being unhappy in life, but that makes them a perfect target for the devil, Pope Francis said in a morning homily. “Desolation is from the serpent,” who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden and who “always bites” when a person sinks in despair,
JERUSALEM (CNS) — For four decades, Mousa Kamar has taken his place at the head of the heavy wooden cross used during the Franciscan Good Friday procession on the Via Dolorosa. Kamar, 55, can be seen every year at the front left of the cross, the same position where his father used to carry the
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Everyone has a direct line to Jesus, who is always nearby, ready to listen and help, Pope Francis said. “Jesus likes to see the truth of our heart. Don’t pretend in front of Jesus. With Jesus, always say what you are feeling,” he said during a visit April 7 to a
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians must be courageous when praying to God and not simply repeat prayers “like a parrot,” Pope Francis said. “In common parlance, people use an expression that I really like when they have a goal: ‘I put it all on the line.’ In intercessory prayers, this also applies: ‘I put it
HAGATNA, Guam (CNS) — Archbishop Michael J. Byrnes of Agana said the archdiocese was “saddened” that Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed a law legalizing recreational marijuana in the territory. Guerrero’s action April 4 allows people 21 and older to possess an ounce of marijuana, reported Pacific Daily News. Adults also will be permitted to
MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Members of the Philippine clergy and human rights groups responded to President Rodrigo Duterte after he threatened to arrest all of his critics. At a gathering of prosecutors April 4, the president threatened to declare a “revolutionary war” if his critics “push me to my limit,” reported ucanews.com. “I will arrest
