ROME (CNS) — The journey of Lent “unfolds amid the remembrance of our fragility and the hope that, at the end of the road, the Risen Lord is waiting for us,” Pope Francis wrote in his homily for Ash Wednesday. “Indeed, the ashes help to remind us that our lives are fragile and insignificant: we…
WASHINGTON – “As Catholics in a global Church, we witness to the power of God’s love through our presence and assistance to those who are vulnerable,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace. Bishop Zaidan encouraged the faithful to remember the vulnerable around…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has not had any further respiratory crises a day after he experienced two of them, the Vatican said, and his condition remained “stable.” The 88-year-old pope “presented no episodes of respiratory insufficiency or bronchospasm,” the Vatican said in its evening medical bulletin March 4. He remained without fever, was…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis suffered “two episodes of acute respiratory insufficiency” March 3 but remained alert, the Vatican said, giving cause for concern after two days in which his condition was described as “stable.” The episodes of respiratory distress were “caused by significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and subsequent bronchospasm,” the Vatican said…
WASHINGTON – Courageous negotiations require boldness to open the door for dialogue, said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, echoing the words of Pope Francis. Archbishop Broglio’s reflection for Lent follows: “As we begin the holy Season of Lent, a time of prayer, penance, and charity, we join our…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ extended hospitalization and care is a reminder that every human being, especially the frail or elderly, must be given proper care, said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. “What I would hope is that what we do for the pope we must do for everybody,…