One of the characteristics that Mother Margarita desired of “her daughters” (Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz) was that they live with a spirit of JOY. She wanted her Sisters to be full of life and radiate God’s love to everyone around them, no matter the circumstances. Here is an uplifting story of one of these Mercedarian
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians can turn Christmas into a “pagan” or “mundane” holiday by focusing on the gifts and the tree rather than on the birth of Jesus and his promise to come again, Pope Francis said. Celebrating the beginning of Advent Dec. 2 with the recitation of the Angelus prayer and at morning
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church has been slow to recognize the presence of homosexual men in the priesthood, which is why superiors must exercise care in helping gay candidates prepare for a life of celibacy or leave the seminary, Pope Francis said. “Homosexuality is a very serious matter, which must be discerned adequately
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every heart enslaved by false idols and evil desires needs a “transplant” with a heart filled with love, joy, goodness, hope and generosity, Pope Francis said. “How does this ‘heart transplant’ happen? From an old heart to a new heart? Through the gift of new desires,” the pope said Nov. 28
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Have a holly, jolly … Advent? If there seems to be a culture clash between the Christmas season and the Advent season that precedes it, Christmas is going to win out practically every time, according to a pair of liturgical musicians. “Christmas as a secular holiday has overtaken Christmas as a religious
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The world needs leaders who are humble and willing to talk with their enemies with the aim of leading their countries toward peace, Pope Francis said. “Those politicians who do not know how to dialogue and confront each other are not leaders of peace,” he told residents and supporters of Rondine-Citadel
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — There is no growth without some form of crisis and no victory without a battle, Pope Francis told a group of Jesuits. In fact, “the worst evil that can happen to us,” he said, is growing complacent, self-satisfied and worldly in one’s spiritual life, too, he said. The pope spoke Dec.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Everyone must help in the fight against drugs, particularly governments which are called to confront the “traffickers of death” who produce, distribute or sell addictive substances, Pope Francis said. There needs to be better and more cooperation of people and coordination of policies battling drugs and dependencies, he said. “Isolated policies
The Vatican challenged countries gathered for the 24th U.N. Climate Change Conference to focus on the needs of the present and the future as it worked to take swift action. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, addressed the conference, COP24, in Katowice, Poland, Dec. 3 and told participants, “We are standing before a challenge
