VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After members of the Synod of Bishops approved their final document, Pope Francis announced that he would not write the customary post-synodal apostolic exhortation but would offer the final document to the entire church to implement. “There are already highly concrete indications in the document that can be a guide for…
Reading 1 EPH 4:7-16 Brothers and sisters: Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore, it says: He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men. What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth? The…
WASHINGTON – As the Catholic Church commemorates the World Day of the Poor on November 17, dioceses across the United States will take up the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) annual collection for their anti-poverty program, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). #iGiveCatholicTogether also accepts funds for CCHD. Founded in 1970, CCHD focuses on…
WASHINGTON – “The Catholic Church teaches that religious freedom is a basic human right, which has even been called the ‘synthesis and summit of all other fundamental rights,’” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan and Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades. The bishop chairmen cited the Vatican’s International Theological Commission as they underscored the importance of religious freedom…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After a two-day trip to Ukraine Oct.19-20, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore said that U.S. Catholics must thoughtfully consider the implications of recent escalations in the region without succumbing to polarized political discourse. Speaking with Catholic News Service Oct. 25, the archbishop, in Rome to participate in the Synod of…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Change in the Catholic Church, including a commitment to recognizing women’s leadership gifts and being more welcoming of all people, happens slowly and deliberately, which is a good thing in a rapidly changing world, said the archbishop of Seattle. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle, a papally-appointed member of the Synod…