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…
WASHINGTON – Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can open our hearts to the discovery of “the immense love of the heart of Christ,” said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), quoting Pope Francis’ encyclical letter released today. Archbishop Broglio’s reflection on Dilexit Nos follows: “The ills of…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A world that has become “heartless” and indifferent to greed and war, and a Catholic Church in need of revitalizing its missionary joy need to open themselves up to Christ’s infinite love, Pope Francis wrote. By contemplating Jesus’ Sacred Heart, the faithful can be filled with the “living water that can…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Because the Holy Spirit specializes in love and unity, Catholic couples should pray regularly for the Spirit to be present in their marriage, Pope Francis said. “Where the Holy Spirit enters, the capacity for self-giving is reborn,” the pope said at his weekly general audience Oct. 23, continuing a series of…