Hard knocks give Rolheiser appreciation of life
TORONTO – Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s next book will be about death.
Five years ago the popular newspaper columnist, book author, theologian and university administrator was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was caught early. A six-month round of chemotherapy seemed to knock it out. But two years ago it came back. Now there are chemo pills every day and check-ups every six months.
Too many couples do not understand marriage is for life, Pope says
ROME – Because most people today do not understand that sacramental marriage really is a bond that binds them to each other for life, many marriages today can be considered invalid, Pope Francis said.
‘Special forces’ armed with skills to fight abuse
The Catholic Church has launched a new kind of "special forces" in the fight against child abuse.
Parish renewal conference draws worldwide audience to Halifax
HALIFAX – Size doesn’t really matter. That’s the hymn book Fr. James Mallon sings from and one of the principles he pushed at a two-day Divine Renovation conference that attracted more than 600 people from 11 countries to his city and his church in mid-June.
“Size is a relative thing, it depends on who you are standing beside,” said the slight, 5-foot-7, 164-pound priestly dynamo.
St. Anthony a link in the interfaith chain
TORONTO – St. Anthony of Padua is known as the miracle worker saint. Many people ask for his intercession for the loss of material things, but also for loss of peace of mind or sense of direction. Those who seek his help are never lost, forgotten or left behind.
Sisters who also are mothers bring new perspectives to religious life
GLENMOORE, Pa. – The way Sister Rita Cameron sees it, her grandchildren didn't lose a grandmother when she became a sister. They gained 106 great-aunts.
Pope elevates memorial of St. Mary Magdalene to feast day
VATICAN CITY – Recognizing St. Mary Magdalene's role as the first to witness Christ's resurrection and as a "true and authentic evangelizer," Pope Francis raised the July 22 memorial of St. Mary Magdalene to a feast on the Church's liturgical calendar, the Vatican announced.
One year later 'Laudato Si' gets to the heart of the matter
Revolution was once a bad word — even The Beatles were against it. But ever since the late Steve Jobs got hold of it and applied it to every new gadget to come off the Apple assembly line, the word has lost its threat and most of its meaning.
Vatican signs new contract with external financial auditor
VATICAN CITY – After suspending an external audit led by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Vatican has signed a new contract with the auditing firm asking only that it provide assistance and consulting services.
Pope calls euthanasia triumph of selfishness, not act of compassion
VATICAN CITY – Growing acceptance of euthanasia does not indicate increased compassion, but highlights the rise of a selfish "throwaway culture" that casts aside the sick, the dying and those who do not satisfy the perceived requirements of a healthy life, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis: A ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ faith is heretical
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has called on Catholics to adopt a “healthy realism” in their approach to their faith, and he decried rigid idealists as heretics.