I had a classmate in college who was a Protestant (Southern Baptist), but who was slowly converting to Catholicism. One of his obstacles though was our Catholic understanding of Saints and Relics. Whenever he saw Catholics praying in front of statues or venerating Relics, he thought they were believers in magic and superstition. He would
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God’s compassion can change the rigid hearts of those who use his law to condemn others, Pope Francis said. A person with a hardened, “pagan heart does not allow the Spirit to enter” and often relies on his or her own strength and intellect rather than understanding God’s will through humility,
AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) — Pope Francis’ historic, 72-hour visit to Cairo has left a profound mark on Egyptians, Catholic leaders said, as they anticipate increased ties with fellow Orthodox Christians and Muslims. “The pope’s visit was a big blessing to the Egyptians, both Muslims and Christians. It boosted the morale of the Egyptian people, especially
CAIRO (CNS) — The only kind of fanaticism that is acceptable to God is being fanatical about loving and helping others, Pope Francis said on his final day in Egypt. “True faith,” he told Catholics, “makes us more charitable, more merciful, more honest and more humane. It moves our hearts to love everyone without counting
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM CAIRO (CNS) — A diplomatic solution must be found to the escalating tension between North Korea and the United States, Pope Francis told journalists. “The path (to take) is the path of negotiation, the path of a diplomatic solution,” he said when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church needs laypeople with a missionary spirit, which means Catholics do not have to try to force members into a vocation that is the Holy Spirit’s to give, Pope Francis said. The temptation to impose a vocation on laypeople as some kind of validation of their service in the
WASHINGTON (CNS) — New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan described the recent pledge from the Democratic National Committee’s chair to support only pro-abortion candidates “disturbing” and “intolerant.” The cardinal, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged members of the Democratic party to “challenge their leadership to recant
