The Catholic Sun

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "War is a defeat," Pope Francis insisted as he called for prayers for peace in Israel and Palestine. Speaking to thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square Oct. 8 for the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the pope said he is following events in Israel and Gaza "with apprehension and sorrow." A day earlier, militants in Gaza launched a massive attack on southern Israel, firing rockets and breaching the border.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christian life is a battle each person must fight against the temptation to be self-sufficient and against a paganism disguised as sacredness, Pope Francis said in an introduction to a small book distributed to participants at the synod on synodality. Such "spiritual worldliness," he wrote, "though it be camouflaged with the appearance of the sacred, it ends up being idolatrous because it does not recognize the presence of God as Lord and liberator of our lives and of the history of the world. It leaves us prey to our capricious desires."

Catholics from around the Diocese of Phoenix showed up in big numbers this past Friday night for the first-ever Catholic Night at Chase Field, as the Arizona Diamondbacks hosted the Houston Astros. It was a night of fellowship and fun, while raising money for Catholic Schools 365 along the way.

It’s Saturday afternoon, and a St. Thomas More parishioner is handing out free Bibles, rosaries and other Catholic materials at the Arizona State Fair. For the last seven years, Pasquale Lombardo and other volunteers have operated the Love of Jesus booth in the exhibit hall at the state fairgrounds. From Thursday through Sunday, Lombardo stands offering freebies to passersby. “Jesus — He’s the Way, the Truth and the Life,” he tells them. “Here, have a rosary. What color do you like? ”The exhibit hall opens at noon and doesn’t close until 10 p.m. Lombardo admits the long hours are taxing, but the returns are, well, heavenly.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Peering just over the windowsill of Pope Francis' studio above St. Peter's Square, five children aged 7-10 joined the pope to announce a special gathering of children at the Vatican in November. "As you can see, beside me today are five children who represent the five continents," Pope Francis said Oct. 1 after reciting the Angelus. "I would like to announce along with them that on the afternoon of Nov. 6, in the Paul VI Hall, I will meet with children from all over the world."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- One consequence of Pope Francis choosing new cardinals from the "peripheries" is that friends, family and fans of the newly elevated are just as shocked and surprised as the new cardinals are themselves to have been given the honor. "I never dreamed this would happen," Eugene Kurisinkal of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, said, wiping tears from his eyes, pointing to his uncle, Malaysian Cardinal Sebastian Francis of Penang. "We were at his episcopal ordination" in 2012 and thought that was going to be the high point of ceremonial celebrations of his 71-year-old uncle's lifelong ministry serving in Malaysia, he told Catholic News Service.

PHOENIX – Fifteen months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled abortion is not a federally guaranteed right, advocates for protecting life at conception “still have a lot of work to do.” But God’s law remains on their side, those advocates were told this week. “We pray for the day when we don’t have to be here,” Fr. Kilian McCaffrey told nearly 100 worshippers at St. Mary’s Basilica during a Mass to open 40 Days for Life’s annual fall campaign in the Diocese of Phoenix Wednesday.

By 2026 all Diocese of Phoenix seminarians will study in Arizona. Bishop John P. Dolan and the Office of Vocations of the Diocese of Phoenix...

The devastating wildfires that swept through Maui left our nation sad and  heart-broken for all of the people affected by this tragedy. We felt...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As Catholic young people around the world prepare for the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis has asked them to focus on hope. Before the Jubilee of Young People, which will be part of the Holy Year celebration, and the next international celebration of World Youth Day in 2026 in Seoul, South Korea, dioceses around the world are to celebrate World Youth Day on a local level on the feast of Christ the King.