Vatican City, Dec 26, 2013 / 08:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A recently released Vatican document is calling for a fresh commitment to Catholic identity within what it calls an increasingly secularized educational system. At a press conference held Dec. 19, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, said, “the Catholic identity of the school is fundamental.” Noting the many challenges facing Catholic schools, the Cardinal added, “today one … [Read more...]
Vatican encourages renewed missionary zeal in Catholic schools
December 26, 2013 by
Peace requires ‘daily commitment,’ says Pope in Christmas message
December 25, 2013 by
Vatican City, Dec 25, 2013 / 05:34 am (CNA).- In his Christmas message, Pope Francis prayed for peace throughout the world as a fruit of God`s grace, to be shared by every human person. "True peace is not a balance of opposing forces. It is not a lovely 'façade' which conceals conflicts and divisions. Peace calls for daily commitment, starting from God’s gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ," he said on December 25 from the loggia of St. … [Read more...]
Jesus is ‘meaning of life, history,’ Pope preaches on Christmas
December 24, 2013 by
Vatican City, Dec 24, 2013 / 04:07 pm (CNA).- Pope Francis’ homily at the vigil mass for Christmas focused on the importance of Jesus’ incarnation as a real and meaningful event. “The grace which was revealed in our world is Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, true man and true God. He has entered our history; he has shared our journey. He came to free us from darkness and to grant us light,” said the Pope on Dec. 24 at the mass held in St. Peter’s … [Read more...]
Dominican carolers bring joy of Christmas to downtown DC
December 24, 2013 by
Washington D.C., Dec 24, 2013 / 09:54 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Passers-by stopped for a moment to pause and listen in the busy streets of Washington, D.C., as Dominican brothers, sisters and friars gathered in joyful song to wish people a Merry Christmas. One observer, John Cherry of Washington, D.C., described the scene as “very soothing to my spirit.” He told CNA that religious brothers and sisters represent the “call of the future” of the Christian … [Read more...]
US budget plan compromise met with mixed reception
December 23, 2013 by
Washington D.C., Dec 23, 2013 / 08:24 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A federal budget framework resulting from dialogue and compromise in Washington, D.C., drew both praise and caution from the head of the U.S. bishops’ committee on domestic justice and human development. “Millions of working families across the country and around the world struggle to survive and achieve stability,” said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, after the House approved the bill. “While this … [Read more...]
Pope: Contemplate St. Joseph’s ‘greatness of soul’
December 22, 2013 by
Vatican City, Dec 22, 2013 / 03:48 pm (CNA).- In his Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on the Christian witness of St. Joseph, who was faithful to God’s call despite impossible circumstances. St. Joseph “was not stubborn in following his own life plans, he did not allow resentment to poison his soul, but he was prepared to make himself disposed to the news that, in a disconcerting way, was presented to him,” said the Pope on Dec. 22. Referring to the gospel story … [Read more...]
Spanish Poor Clares give Pope Francis a hen for Christmas dinner
December 22, 2013 by
Vatican City, Dec 22, 2013 / 08:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Poor Clares of Allariz, in western Spain, have given Pope Francis the finest hen from their farm, to be served as the main dish for his Christmas dinner. “This is not just another hen; it is a poulard, a type of high-quality bird fed a special fodder and bred longer than normal, which gives the meat a more tender and flavorful quality,” Sister Maria Pureza, abbess of St. Clare monastery, told CNA by phone from her … [Read more...]
Follow Patheos
Catholic: