Fasting: Lent's spiritual practice creates space for prayer
WASHINGTON – There is no getting around fasting during Lent.
Pope Francis' latest prayer video spotlights Christian persecution
VATICAN CITY – In his prayer video for March, Pope Francis prays for persecuted Christians, asking for the prayers and aid of the whole Church toward those mistreated on the basis of their beliefs.
Papal academies: Bigger threat to planet is greed, not population growth
VATICAN CITY – Increasing threats against biodiversity, unsustainable use of the earth's resources and accelerated extinction rates are driven more by overconsumption and unjust wealth distribution than by the number of people on the planet, a Vatican workshop concluded.
Daily Lenten to-do list helps in Easter preparations
The season of Lent is all about preparing, which means there are plenty of to-do lists for Catholics as they count down the days to Easter Sunday and the Resurrection.
Pope at Ash Wednesday Mass: Lent breathes life into world asphyxiated by sin
ROME – Lent is a time to receive God's breath of life, a breath that saves humanity from suffocating under the weight of selfishness, indifference and piety devoid of sincerity, Pope Francis said.
Lent isn’t just about penance – it’s also a time of hope, Pope Francis says
VATICAN CITY – On Ash Wednesday Pope Francis said that while Lent is certainly a time of mortification, it’s also a journey of hope that leads to the joy of Christ’s Resurrection – a journey that requires both daily sacrifice and love.
These 17th century monks did a beer fast for Lent
WASHINGTON – As Ash Wednesday kicks off the Lenten season, Catholics enter into 40 days of abstaining from sweets, technology, alcohol and other luxuries.
Pope paints picture of Sweden that's at odds with Trump’s
VATICAN CITY – In an interview with a magazine that supports the homeless, Pope Francis suggested wealthy nations are partly to blame for the migrant crisis and urged Europeans and others to stand “in the shoes” of those arriving at their borders.
Don't worry how it's spent, always give to homeless, Pope says
VATICAN CITY – People who don't give money to the homeless because they think it will be spent on alcohol and not food should ask themselves what guilty pleasures they are secretly spending money on, Pope Francis said.
Priest: We need to praise what is good, true in the Muslim faith
VATICAN CITY – Not only is there a good deal in common between Muslims and Christians, but Catholics are called to respect and work together with those who practice the Muslim faith in recognition of truth and goodness they do possess, said Islam scholar Fr. Thomas Michel.
Pope furthers sainthood causes of eight men, women
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis advanced the sainthood cause of two medical doctors and six religious – many of whom died just a generation ago.