hand and heart

The recent post office troubles have impacted our regular fundraising efforts. Please consider supporting the Register and Catholic journalism by using one of the methods below:

  • Donate online
  • Donate by e-transfer to accounting@catholicregister.org
  • Donate by telephone: 416-934-3410 ext. 406 or toll-free 1-855-441-4077 ext. 406

FAITH/STORIES

Pope Francis uses incense during a Lenten penance service in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican March 17.

Pope presides over Lenten penance service at Vatican

By

VATICAN CITY – A few hours after urging priests to be generously available for the sacrament of penance, Pope Francis went to confession, then offered the sacrament to seven Catholics.

Pope Francis greets a new priest during a 2015 ordination Mass at the Vatican.

Pope Francis gives life to married priests debate

By

Pope Francis’ apparent openness to a discussion about ordaining married men to serve as priests in remote communities has heartened and encouraged at least one Canadian bishop.

Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the Holy See's permanent observer to the U.N. in Geneva, told the the Human Rights Council that health care access is a human right.

Health care access is a human right, Vatican tells UN

By

GENEVA, Switzerland – Health care access is a human right, not just a matter of philanthropy, the Holy See told the United Nations last Friday.

Pope Francis shared a moment with some Chinese pilgrims during his general audience March 15 who broke protocol to approach him.

Pope Francis shares a moment with Chinese pilgrims at general audience

By

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis greeted and blessed a group of pilgrims from China who broke protocol and approached him during the Wednesday general audience.

March 16, 2017
Pope Francis speaks during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 15.

Pope's homily: Being unsympathetic is a slippery slope towards corruption

The parable of the poor man, Lazarus, lying at the rich man’s door, was at the heart of Pope Francis’ homily at the Santa Marta Mass on Thursday morning. The Pope warned of the risks we run if we have the same uncaring attitude towards the poor and homeless people we see around us today.

Pope Francis is pictured while greeting the crowd during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 15.

Shady business deals that threaten employment a 'grave sin,' Pope says

By

VATICAN CITY – Employers who make business deals that threaten people's livelihood commit a sin that robs men, women and their families of their dignity, Pope Francis said.

This artist's concept appeared on the February 23rd, 2017 cover of the journal Nature announcing that the TRAPPIST-1 star, an ultra-cool dwarf, has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it.

New planets raise old questions

By

For millennia, people have gazed into the night sky and wondered, “Are we alone?”

March 14, 2017
Pope Francis gestures as he celebrates Mass March 12 at the Rome parish of St. Magdalene of Canossa.

Pope's homily: conversion comes through concrete actions

Avoiding evil, learning to do good, and allowing yourself to be carried forward by the Lord: this is the path of Lenten conversion pointed out by Pope Francis in his homily at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. It is a conversion, the Pope said, that is manifested not with words, but with “concrete things.”

A number of church leaders on the front lines promoting child protection policies noted that the biggest challenge they face is a cultural one.

Hear no evil: How culture of resistance may hinder child protection

By

VATICAN CITY – When a child-protection advocate resigned from a papal advisory board in early March, she did so because of growing frustration with persistent resistance and a "toxic" sense of superiority from some in the Roman Curia.

Argentina's flag is seen as Pope Francis greets the crowd during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Aug. 31, 2016.

Unlike previous popes, Francis is in no rush to visit his homeland

By

TIGRE, Argentina – The Polish pope, St. John Paul II, made nine visits to his country of birth, the first in 1979, less than a year after his election.

Over 200 musicians, pastors and musical scholars from around the world signed a document stating their concerns about the current state of sacred music.

Musicians, pastors voice concerns about current state of sacred music

By

ROME, Italy – Hundreds of musicians and pastors from around the world have signed a document urging parishes and publishers should take care to develop the Church’s rich musical traditions, not discard them.

Kerry Alys Robinson and Sister Simone Campbell, a Sister of Social Service, speak during the Voices of Faith gathering March 8 at the Vatican. The event, held on International Women's Day, had the theme "Stirring the Waters-Making the Impossible Possible."

Vatican forum calls for church, world to heed women's voices

By

VATICAN CITY – Women and men from around the globe gathered for an event inside Vatican City that celebrated and encouraged the need for women's voices to be heard in the church and in the world.

Pope Francis smiles as he greets the crowd during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 1.

Pope Francis has some ideas on how to fix the priest shortage

By

VATICAN CITY – In a newly-released interview Pope Francis discussed the shortage of vocations to the priesthood, saying the first response must be prayer. He also mentioned working with youth, the low birthrate, and the ordination of married men.

Page 133 of 269