POPE Francis has asked Catholics to pray each day for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family. He also appealed for the Church so that it could be even more “dedicated and united in the witness of the truth of God’s love and mercy for the families of the world, (with) no one excluded either inside or outside the ... Read More »
THE number of Catholics in the world and the number of priests and permanent deacons rose slightly in 2013, while the number of men and women in religious orders declined, according to Vatican statistics. For the second year in a row, the number of candidates for the priesthood also decreased. The numbers come from the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, ... Read More »
THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL: Starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Sonny Kapoor, Richard Gere. Directed by John Madden. Rated PG (Mild coarse language and sexual references). 122 minutes. By John Mulderig BASED on its ingratiating surface, the comedy sequel The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel might be categorised as the sort of film that, while safest for ... Read More »
JEAN Vanier, a Catholic author and theologian who founded L’Arche, an international network of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together, has won the 2015 Templeton Prize. L’Arche is dedicated to the creation and growth of communities, programs and support networks for people with intellectual disabilities across the globe. The movement began quietly in northern ... Read More »
WITHOUT family, a legal identity and adequate education, children uprooted by the ongoing violence in Syria and the Middle East “are at risk of becoming a lost generation”, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva Archbishop Silvano Tomasi says. The archbishop noted that “children suffer the brutal consequences” of war and called for a “comprehensive ... Read More »
CHILDREN are a blessing for humanity and for the Church, bringing new life and energy to families and society, Pope Francis said. Unfortunately, he said, too often children were society’s “great rejected ones, because they aren’t even allowed to be born!” Continuing a series of general audience talks about the family yesterday (March 18), Pope Francis said it was troubling ... Read More »
POPE Francis announced an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of Mercy, to highlight the Catholic Church’s “mission to be a witness of mercy”. “No one can be excluded from God’s mercy,” the Pope said on March 13, marking the second anniversary of his pontificate by leading a Lenten penance service in St Peter’s Basilica. “I frequently have thought about how ... Read More »
THE church “is the house of Jesus”, and Christians must welcome everyone, even bringing those who were unable to make their way on their own, Pope Francis said at morning Mass on March 17. People who were sad or “sick in their soul” or who had “made many mistakes in their lives” may, at a certain point, feel the Holy ... Read More »
TEACHING is about giving young people, especially troublemakers, values and hope, and it is “an injustice” that today’s educators are paid so poorly, Pope Francis said. In a world where it is already difficult for kids to find a decent point of reference, they must find positive guidance from teachers, who “are able to give meaning to school, studying and ... Read More »
The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You
