Rome, Italy, Jun 3, 2014 / 05:10 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The winner of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, Nairo Quintana of Colombia, has received the pink championship jersey that Pope Francis blessed before the competition. Pope Francis blessed the jersey in a private act before the race, as he did in 2013 as well. The jersey's pink color comes from the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, which created the competition; the paper's pages are pink as well. The Pope was also … [Read more...]
Cycling champion receives jersey blessed by Pope Francis
June 3, 2014 by
Philadelphia archdiocese files suit against HHS mandate
June 3, 2014 by
Philadelphia, Pa., Jun 3, 2014 / 03:07 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and its affiliated entities filed a lawsuit June 2 challenging federal mandates that require employers to provide or to help provide contraceptive services through their health insurance. The federal rules force the entities “to violate their religious convictions by either directly supplying, or cooperating in the process to supply, contraceptive services that gravely conflict with Catholic … [Read more...]
Spanish bishops seek prayers for current, future kings
June 3, 2014 by
Madrid, Spain, Jun 3, 2014 / 02:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Spanish bishops' conference has called for prayers for King Juan Carlos and his successor, after the king announced he would abdicate the throne in favor of his son, Prince Felipe. The conference’s leadership committee recognized Juan Carlos’ career, praising “his generous dedication and his contribution to the recent history of Spain.” The king said in a televised message June 2 that he began to … [Read more...]
British ambassador decries ‘brutal’ crime of sexual violence
June 3, 2014 by
Vatican City, Jun 3, 2014 / 10:33 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Ahead of an international summit resisting sexual violence in the midst of conflict, Britain’s ambassador to the Holy See stated that it is a “massive” problem, and has called for justice. “Man has a very wide armory of cruelty to be applied against fellow man,” Nigel Baker told CNA June 3, adding that the “brutal and cruel” use of sexual violence “is one of the worst forms of … [Read more...]
Pope Francis: Jesus intercedes for us with his wounds
June 3, 2014 by
Vatican City, Jun 3, 2014 / 07:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his daily homily Pope Francis reflected on how Jesus advocates for us in heaven, emphasizing that he does this by showing the Father his wounds, the price he paid for our sin.“He shows his wounds to the Father, and Jesus, with his wounds, prays for us as if to say to the Father: ‘But, Father, this is the price of these! Help them, protect them,’” Pope Francis explained to those in the Vatican’s Saint … [Read more...]
New book gives short take on Saint Thomas Aquinas
June 3, 2014 by
Manchester, N.H., Jun 3, 2014 / 02:03 am (CNA).- Recently released, “The One-Minute Aquinas” aims to share the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas in an accessible format to help more people learn from the medieval saint, theologian, and philosopher. “So much of what he deals with are those perennial or timeless questions: what does it mean to be a human being? What are our potentials, what are our powers? What does God expect of us?” Kevin Vost, the author of the book, told … [Read more...]
Shipping bill could cut aid to millions, Catholic leaders warn
June 3, 2014 by
Washington D.C., Jun 3, 2014 / 12:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Leaders of Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called on the Senate to defeat a legislative provision which could reduce the number of U.S. food aid recipients by up to 2 million. “According to the Administration this proposed change would increase the costs of shipping international food aid commodities by at least $75 million annually and result in at least two million people worldwide losing … [Read more...]
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