Knowing how to cry opens one to tenderness, pope says at cemetery Mass
Those who are "poor in spirit," the pope said, are happy because heaven is their only treasure; heaven awaits them.
Brazilian priest recalls prayers to Mother Teresa, possible miracle
"I had just returned from a Mass with the nuns at the Missionaries of Charity and even had a little medal that was given to me by the sisters in my pocket," said the priest, who added he gave the medal to the patient's wife and asked her and her family to pray to Blessed Teresa even more fervently in the days to come.
Catholics must become ‘intentional disciples,’ revitalize Church Waddell says at leadership conference
Sherry Weddell stood before a hall packed with 500 local Catholic leaders and issued a challenge. “What if you set out to double the number of intentional disciples in five years? What if you set out to make your parish a center of evangelization and discipleship?” Weddell queried the group.
Exorcisms for entertainment? Terrible idea, St. Louis archdiocese tells cable network
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (CNA/EWTN News) — A television show’s promise of a live exorcism rite is more dangerous than it thinks, the Archdiocese of St. Louis warned.
Catholic agencies have long forged relationships with new House speaker
WASHINGTON (CNS) — With his election as speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Paul Ryan may have taken the most difficult job in American politics. The Wisconsin Republican is faced with keeping his party’s conference unified as he takes a position that places him third in line for the presidency. He has vowed to change business-as-usual in the House by building broad consensus for legislation and pledged to eschew last-minute, closed-door deals.
New interfaith gathering offers prayers for peace in Jerusalem
As dusk fell over the Old City, a group of 60 Christians and Jews and one Muslim gathered at the entrance of the Jaffa Gate for what they hope will become a monthly event of public prayer for peace.
China announces it will change its policy, allow all families 2 children
The Chinese government imposed its one-child policy in 1979 to curb the growth of the population that, at that time, was reaching 972 million people with some families in rural areas since then required to apply to have a second child if the first child was a girl.
Lay witness offers perspectives on exploring gay identity
Rilene Simpson spoke at length about a topic that’s often hushed in Catholic circles: exploring the gay identity. What’s more, some 120 priests, deacons, women religious and other lay parish leaders packed into a conference room at the Diocesan Pastoral Center Oct. 21 to hear it. Simpson was once in a long-term lesbian partnership as an atheist and has since converted to Catholicism and a life of celibacy. She intertwined her testimony with a series of headline stories pertaining to gender identity.
World expects believers to work together for peace, pope says
Religions don't have a special "recipe" to solve world problems of peace, hunger, poverty and other crises, Pope Francis said, "but we have a great resource," the treasure of prayer.
New Mexico priest, seminarians soup up car for vocations
GALLUP, New Mexico (CNA/EWTN News) — Fr. Matthew Keller has always been kind of a car guy. “Actually, a lot of a car guy,” he told CNA, laughing. He went to technical school as a teenager — “vocational school, funny enough” — and has worked on cars with his dad and brother-in-law since he was young.
