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pope francis on Twitter
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Meet Chloe Cole, the 18-year-old leading the fight to protect children from transgender surgeries
By Edie Heipel
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 24, 2022 / 06:30 am
An 18-year-old woman is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful voices against transitioning children at a moment in which most politicians and media outlets lack the courage to speak out.
Chloe Cole is a self-described “former trans kid” who de-transitioned after undergoing years of puberty blockers and an irreversible double mastectomy at the age of 15.
Cole is now traveling across the country to share her story and raise the alarm about gender transition procedures on children, a growing trend she calls “child abuse” and “medical experimentation.”
“I’m planning to keep doing this until it stops,” Cole told CNA Wednesday in an interview (continue reading.)
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Priest inspires thousands to sign up for novena to defeat ‘right to abortion’ in Michigan
By David Kerr
Lansing, Mich., Sep 14, 2022 / 09:00 am
One Michigan priest’s prayerful insight is inspiring thousands of people to sign up for a 54-day rosary novena aimed at defeating an attempt to insert a “right to abortion” into the state constitution.
The proposed constitutional amendment is titled Reproductive Freedom for All. The ballot initiative seeks to enshrine abortion up to — and including — the day of birth. It also seeks to eliminate dozens of Michigan laws that presently regulate abortion, including parental consent and notification laws and laws that prohibit partial-birth abortion.
The novena begins tomorrow, Sept. 15, the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. It ends the day before Michigan’s general election on Nov. 8 (continue reading).
Lila Rose drops mic on ‘Dr. Phil’: ‘If it’s not a human life why do you have to kill it?’
By Francesca Pollio Fenton
Denver, Colo., Sep 14, 2022 / 10:06 am
Lila Rose, the founder and president of the national pro-life group Live Action, recently spoke in defense of the unborn in cases of rape and fetal anomalies to a national audience on Dr. Phil’s talk show.
In response to the talk-show host’s statement that the scientific community is divided on the question of whether life begins at conception, she countered with a powerful one-liner.
Rose asked: “In an abortion, if it’s not a human life why do you have to kill it?” (continue reading)
MOTHER GRIEVES SON KILLED BY MAID
Let me tell you about the murder of Matthew Main.
Matthew was euthanized on December 12th, 2021. He received Trudeau’s “MAiD service” at the hands of a house-calling death doctor, who dispensed the lethal injection right in Matthew’s own apartment in Toronto. He was 47 years old.
Matthew was born with multiple birth defects, including serious heart and facial structural problems. However, with the help of modern technology and after several difficult operations, he was able to live a fairly full life. His condition was manageable.
I do not know what the “official” grounds were for his approval for MAiD. I only know what his grieving mother told me in an interview I had with her this past week.
Matthew’s mother was informed of her son’s death only after the deed. She was never contacted by the MAiD facilitators. They never inquired with her concerning his medical history, state of mind, or present condition. It seems they simply took him at his word when he expressed a desire to die, and they were happy to oblige with the utmost haste and convenience (continue reading).
Spanish bishop warns that the Synod on Synodality can’t re-invent the mission of the Church
Cordoba, Spain, Jul 29, 2022 / 05:00 am
The bishop of Córdoba, Spain, Demetrio Fernández, warned about the challenges facing the Synod on Synodality, an initiative that he acknowledges "has stirred up the waters of the Church" but that cannot "invent" the mission of the Catholic Church.
In his weekly pastoral letter, which concludes by quoting the Letter to the Hebrews — ”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching” — the bishop explained some of the challenges of the synodal process.
He noted that “the Church, by its very nature, is synodal, it is communion, it’s an assembly, and therefore we are called to prophesy.”
However, he clarified, “It is the Holy Spirit who speaks in us... (continue reading)
12 keys to using the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Denver Newsroom, Jul 15, 2022 / 20:00 pm
Pope Pius XII said, “The devotion to the Carmelite scapular has brought down on the world a copious rain of spiritual and temporal graces.”
On the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16, here are 12 keys to explaining the Brown Scapular and its use: (continue reading)
The Martyrs of Barbastro
Know your Martyrs
Spain is known for its many martyrs, especially the many who lost their lives during the religious persecution that broke out in the 1930s. Over 1,870 martyrs from this time period have already been officially recognized by the Catholic Church and many more are on their way to canonization.
Barbastro (Huesca, Spain) was the diocese that suffered most during the persecution. 80% of the clergy, the highest figure in all of Spain, were killed. A total of 18 Benedictines, 9 Piarists, 51 Claretians, 13 canons of the Cathedral, 114 diocesan priests, 5 seminarians, and a bishop were martyred (continue reading).
APOSTOLIC LETTER
DESIDERIO DESIDERAVI
Q&A: Is There a Catholic Case for Abortion?
Question:
How do I refute this article I saw called "The Catholic Case for Abortion Rights?"Answer:
The Time magazine commentary you cite is from the notoriously misnamed group “Catholic For a Free Choice” (CFFC). Its longtime leader was Frances Kissling, and it has more recently been led by Jon O’Brien. It has never been and never will be recognized as an authentically Catholic entity, and its gets major support from groups that oppose the mission of the Catholic Church.
O’Brien commits several errors in his editorial. For example, he mixes truth with lies in saying the Church’s teaching that “a human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience” (CCC 1790) provides moral justification for an individual to choose abortion. In the process, he conveniently overlooks that a Catholic is obligated to form his conscience particularly with the teachings of the Church (CCC 1785) and including these basic moral rules: (continue reading).
BREAKING: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in historic abortion decision
By Katie Yoder, Shannon Mullen
Washington D.C., Jun 24, 2022 / 08:24 am
The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade in a historic 6—3 decision released Friday that brings a sudden and dramatic end to nearly a half-century of nationwide legalized abortion in the U.S.
The opinion, in the Mississippi abortion case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, is widely seen as the Supreme Court’s most highly anticipated and consequential ruling since Roe. It not only overturns Roe, the landmark 1973 abortion case, but also Casey v. Planned Parenthood, a 1992 decision that affirmed Roe (continue reading).
Two churches in Nigeria attacked during Sunday worship
Rome Newsroom, Jun 20, 2022 / 04:00 am
Gunmen in Nigeria attacked a Catholic church and a Baptist church on Sunday morning, killing three people and reportedly kidnapping more than 30 worshippers.
Armed bandits on motorcycles stormed villages in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna state and attacked St. Moses Catholic Church and Maranatha Baptist Church on June 19 while people were worshiping, local government officials told the Associated Press.
“It was some few minutes after 7am today, while both the Catholic and Baptist churches were holding their services when the kidnappers attacked,” Reuben Buhari, a former spokesman for the local government, told the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard on June 19 (continue reading).
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The Church ‘can neither live nor survive without priests,’ Spanish bishop says
Denver Newsroom, Jun 18, 2022 / 10:00 am
In his weekly pastoral letter published a few days before ordaining five new priests on June 18, the bishop of Córdoba, Spain, Demetrio Fernández, wrote that the Catholic Church cannot live without her priests, stressing that they are “a vital necessity.”
“The Church can neither live nor survive without priests. It’s a vital necessity. Because she cannot live without the presence of Christ who continually vivifies her through the sacraments, and especially through the Eucharist,” the bishop said.
"Without priests there is no Eucharist or sacramental forgiveness of sins, or accompaniment to so many people who seek that presence of Christ by their side,” the bishop stressed [continue reading]. -
Corpus Christi Sunday 2022: Inspiring words from the saints about the Eucharist
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 14, 2022 / 20:15 pm
Corpus Christi Sunday, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, falls this year on Sunday, June 19.
Originally proposed as a feast day by St. Thomas Aquinas, this liturgical solemnity honors the Eucharist, reminding all to recognize that it is the True Presence: the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.
Whether the Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated through Mass or a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, it is important for Catholics to acknowledge the powerful, spiritual nature of the Eucharist. Here are 11 quotes from some beloved saints about the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ [continue reading].
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U.S. abortions increase by nearly 70,000 in three years, reversing long-term decline
By Katie Yoder
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 15, 2022 / 16:27 pm
The number of U.S. abortions increased by nearly 70,000 in three years, according to data compiled by a pro-abortion research organization. The increase, it says, reverses a 30-year decline.
A total of 930,160 unborn babies were aborted in 2020 — an 8% increase from the 862,320 abortions in 2017, according to a new report published by the Guttmacher Institute on Wednesday.
“The loss of each of these children is incalculable,” Lila Rose, head of the pro-life group Live Action, tweeted in response to the report [continue reading].
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Pride
By DONALD DEMARCO
Like cholesterol, there are two kinds of pride: one good, one bad.
With good pride, a person can be justified in exulting over the fact that he is a Catholic, for example. He can be justly proud of his family, his country, his neighborhood, etc. The key term here is "justified." Good pride implies the inclusion of justice. [read more] -
NIGERIAN CATHOLIC BISHOP TO IRISH PRESIDENT: CHURCH MASSACRE NOT LINKED TO CLIMATE CHANGE
London, England, Jun 13, 2022 / 04:42 amAttributing violence against Nigeria’s Christians to climate change is “incorrect and far-fetched,” according to the bishop of a diocese where at least 40 people were murdered at a Pentecost Sunday Mass.
Bishop Jude Ayodeji Arogundade of Ondo was responding to a statement issued by Irish president Michael D. Higgins after the June 5 massacre at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, southwestern Nigeria (read more).
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70 new priests ordained in one weekend in Mexican diocese
Guadalajara Cathedral (Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady), Mexico | Shutterstock
By CNA Staff
Guadalajara, Mexico, Jun 7, 2022 / 14:29 pmIn one historic weekend, the Cardinal Archbishop of Guadalajara, José Francisco Robles Ortega, ordained 70 men to the priesthood in two separate ceremonies held June 4 and 5 at the Mexican Martyrs Shrine in that city.
In the first ordination 33 priests were ordained and in the second, 37.
In addition, the cardinal ordained seven new deacons on June 3, also at the shrine in Guadalajara. {read more}
Archbishop Cordileone bars Nancy Pelosi from Communion until she ends abortion support
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 20, 2022 / 14:03 pm
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced on Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should not be admitted to Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, nor should she present herself to receive the Eucharist, until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion. {read more}
Online church helped me as a Catholic convert in the pandemic. But I need an in-person faith
Sara Scarlett Willson
April 18, 2022After a few years of slowly becoming absorbed in theology, I began the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at London’s Westminster Cathedral in the fall of 2019. It took until the end of the following summer, after the United Kingdom’s first wave of Covid-19 restrictions had waxed and waned, for me to receive baptism at the age of 32.
The spring and summer of 2020 were some of the hardest months of my life. It was not only a time of tribulation for me, of course, for acute suffering was everywhere. But I needed spiritual succor more than ever, and the new relationships I was trying to build in my adopted community already felt fractured by forces beyond my control. {continue reading}
What if doubt is actually good for your faith?
Kevin Clarke
April 18, 2022
St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of journalists, and that’s fine. I have nothing against him. But I’ve always thought it should have been St. Thomas the Apostle.I think of doubting Thomas as the world’s first journalist, determined to get confirmation for rumors he heard floating around the neighborhood about his former rabbi and a mysterious resurrection.
Thomas is considered something of a weak character because he had to see to believe, but I have a great deal of sympathy for him. I get it. He’s like me, looking for a reason to believe. {continue reading}
Meet Fr. Stu – the real priest, and true story, behind Mark Wahlberg’s new movie
A Pillar longread
“I kept hearing the same message over and over again: ‘There is power in suffering, move him forward.’”
Back in 2007, Bishop George Thomas of Helena wasn’t sure whether to ordain Stuart Long to the priesthood.
Seminary formators had raised red flags about Stu, who had an aggressive and debilitating muscle disorder with a poor prognosis. A serious chronic illness didn’t seem like it fit with the ministry of a Catholic priest.
But Bishop Thomas of Helena believed that suffering is a gift in the Christian life — a gift Stu had received in spades. {Continue reading}
Singing this song on Holy Thursday can purify your soul (and save you time in Purgatory)
Denver Newsroom, Apr 13, 2022 / 12:39 pm
Did you know that it is possible to sing a special song of adoration on Holy Thursday and have your soul purified?
It's true, and the song is "Tantum Ergo."
First, some background. A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary, and all the saints to remove all the temporal punishment due to sin.
What does this mean? {continue reading}
The Dangers of Reiki
Beth Anderson was introduced to Reiki in 2004, while attending college. Handling the stress and pressures of university life was challenging, and she started experiencing acute stomach pain. Medication and advice from several doctors didn’t help, and a nun in her parish who was the parish nurse, suggested trying Reiki. A devout Catholic, Anderson was skeptical at first, but when her stomach pain got worse she finally agreed to a Reiki session given by a nun. Soon she was going to sessions on a regular basis. {continue reading}
New eucharistic movie hits U.S. theaters for one day only
"ALIVE: Who is there?" is a new documentary about personal encounters with the Eucharist. | Hakuna Films/Bosco FilmsBy Joe Bukuras
Boston, Mass., Apr 7, 2022 / 15:58 pm
A new documentary highlighting the transformative power of the Holy Eucharist will be debuting for one day only in more than 700 theaters across the United States on Monday, April 25.
Directed and produced by Spanish filmmakers, the Bosco Films and Hakuna Films documentary “ALIVE: Who is there?” features the testimonies of five men and women who share how the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist has transformed their lives. {continue reading}
Priest serving people with same-sex attraction begs Cardinals Marx and Hollerich to "be faithful to your oath"
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 6, 2022 / 09:25 am
Editor’s note: Two of the most influential Catholic prelates in Europe have advocated publicly in recent months for the Church to change its teaching on homosexuality.
In February, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, S.J., the archbishop of Luxembourg who serves as president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union and relator general of the Synod on Synodality in Rome, said in an interview that the Church’s teaching that homosexual sex is sinful was “wrong,” arguing that the “sociological-scientific foundation of this teaching is no longer correct.” More recently, in an interview... {continue reading...}
Pope Francis expresses ‘sorrow and shame’ for Catholic role in abuse against Indigenous peoples
Pope Francis meets Canadian Indigenous leaders at the Vatican on April 1, 2022.
By Hannah BrockhausVatican City, Apr 1, 2022 / 07:50 am
Pope Francis on Friday expressed his “sorrow and shame” for the role Catholics have played in the abuse of Indigenous peoples in Canada, especially in residential schools.
During a meeting with representatives of the Métis, Inuit, and First Nations groups at the Vatican on April 1, the pope condemned colonization, saying he was sorry for the historic evil committed against Canadian Indigenous peoples. {continue reading}
Pope francis to visit indigenous peoples in canada in july
Pope Francis meets members of the First Nations at the Vatican on March 31, 2022. | Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 1, 2022 / 05:50 am
Pope Francis has said that he will travel to Canada in the summer, possibly for the feast of St. Anne on July 26.
He made the announcement during a meeting with Canadian Indigenous leaders at the Vatican on April 1. {continue reading}
Why is the First Saturdays devotion called the 'unfulfilled part of the Fatima message'?
Crowds looking at the Miracle of the Sun, occurring during the Our Lady of Fatima apparitions. | Public Domain.
By Joe Bukuras
Boston, Mass., Mar 30, 2022 / 15:07 pm
When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children at Fatima, she asked that certain devotions be followed in order to bring peace to the world.
The most well-known of her requests is for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. But there is another request Our Lady made: For people worldwide to dedicate the first Saturday of the month, for five consecutive months, to prayer, confession, and attending Mass.
These days of prayer are commonly known as the Five First Saturdays devotion.
This devotion is considered by some to be the “unfulfilled part of the Fatima message," one Fatima expert told CNA.
With another first Saturday approaching on April 2, here is some background about this powerful spiritual practice...{continue reading...}
Vatican releases text for March 25 consecration prayer for Ukraine, Russia
An image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at St. Peter's Church, Vienna, Austria. | Pope Francis | Diana Ringo via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0 at) | Vatican Media
By CNA Staff Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 22, 2022 / 10:41 am
The Vatican has sent bishops around the world the text of the prayer that Pope Francis will lead on March 25 for the consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Here is the full text of the prayer obtained by CNA:
O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace... {continue reading...}
Russian Bishops: Consecration to Mary is prayer, not magic
Russian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Russia's Catholic Bishops hail Pope Francis' decision to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, recalling that consecration to Our Lady is an act of faith and prayer, and not recourse to some sort of magic.By Vatican News staff reporter
Following Pope Francis' announcement that he will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Bishop Clemens Pickel, of Saratov, Russia, said the Bishops of Russia, who have just ended their plenary assembly, are "happy that he has decided to do this."
Speaking to Vatican News, Bishop Pickel noted that Russian Bishops are now planning for this Act of Consecration, focusing on helping the Russian faithful understand it well.{...continue reading..}
The Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph
The message of Our Lady of Fatima is not intended to satisfy apocalyptic curiosities about the end of the world, but launches a heartfelt appeal for conversion so that humanity may be saved from the selfishness that destroys. At a time marked by devastating wars, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia
Ukrainian refugees. By Sergio Centofanti
"In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!" These were the words of Our Lady to the shepherd children of Fatima over 100 years ago, words that give hope in the midst of the clamour of wars. On March 25, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At Wednesday’s General Audience, he prayed intensely for peace: "Lord Jesus, who died in a mother’s arms in a bunker in Kharkiv, have mercy on us… Stop the hand of Cain!” The meekness of prayer overcomes the arrogance of evil.{...continue reading...}