Catholics and Lutherans to worship together at Reformation anniversary
PARIS - Catholics and Lutherans have made another step toward joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 by issuing common liturgical guidelines for ecumenical services to mark the occasion.
Vatican is not a 'den of thieves,' says top Vatican official
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican is not "a den of thieves," and such insinuations are an injustice to employees who are proud to serve the pope and the church, said Archbishop Angelo Becciu, a top official in the Vatican Secretariat of State.
Synagogue visit is chapter in Rome's unique Catholic-Jewish history
ROME - History and geography have combined to make Catholic-Jewish relations in Rome unique, both negatively and positively -- a fact highlighted by modern papal visits to the city's main synagogue just two miles from the Vatican.
Don’t waste time rehashing the past
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Jan. 24 (Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21)
The moment of true conversion of heart and mind should always be an occasion of rejoicing. Often people look back on their errant journey with shame and despondency, wasting a lot of time and energy on self-condemnation.
Only in the silence of our soul
Belgian spiritual writer Bieke Vandekerckhove comes by her wisdom honestly. She didn’t learn what she shares from a book or even primarily from the good example of others. She learned what she shares through the crucible of a unique suffering, being hit at the tender age of 19 with a terminal disease that promised not just an early death but also a complete breakdown and humiliation of her body enroute to that death.
United as God’s chosen
For the past 50 years, beginning with the 1965 Vatican II decree Nostra aetate, Catholic-Jewish dialogue has steadily improved to the point that today the relationship between Catholics and Jews has never been stronger.
Pope to teens: Don't fall for hate, fearmongers; find nice friends
VATICAN CITY - Don't fall for hate and fearmongering from others; make new friends instead and always help and show concern for others, Pope Francis told the world's teens.
Faithfulness in mercy is God's way of being, Pope says
VATICAN CITY - God's mercy is constant and limitless; he is faithful in his mercy for his children, even when they are unfaithful, Pope Francis said.
Comedian, cardinal, inmate present Pope Francis book on mercy
VATICAN CITY - Arms flailing, the exuberant and perhaps hyperactive Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni described Pope Francis as a masterful minister of God's mercy, which is always active and always on the move.
Pope: Prayers of the faithful, not clergy, can make miracles happen
VATICAN CITY - The prayers of the faithful, not the pope, bishops, priests or nuns, have the power to make miracles happen in the most impossible situations, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass.
Warmth of mercy can overcome cold indifference, Pope tells diplomats
VATICAN CITY - Cold indifference to migrants, the poor, the hungry and the persecuted must be overcome through the warmth of mercy, which can transform people into artisans of peace, Pope Francis said.