Archive for January 14, 2025

Aerial view from Flores Island, Indonesia.?w=200&h=150

By Kristina Millare

Indonesian archbishop rejects government energy plans in majority Catholic island of Flores

Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry designated Flores a “geothermal spot” in 2017, identifying 16 project sites on the island... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims from his wheelchair during the Saturday jubilee audience in the Vatican’s audience hall on Jan. 11, 2025.?w=200&h=150

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

Pope Francis’ autobiography ‘Hope’ is out this week

“Hope,” the autobiography of Pope Francis, hit the shelves of Italian bookstores Tuesday and will be on sale starting Jan.... Read more

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin arrives prior to a Mass for the consecration of the church at the site of Jesus’ baptism on Jan. 10, 2025, in Al-Maghtas, Jordan. Pope Francis appointed Parolin as papal legate to consecrate the Church of the Baptism of Jesus at Al-Maghtas, also known as “Bethany Beyond the Jordan.” Parolin met with 14 Middle East pontifical representatives in Jordan on Jan. 13, 2025, to discuss challenges in the region including ongoing hostilities there.?w=200&h=150

By Kristina Millare

Cardinal Parolin: Christians essential for peace, ‘fraternal coexistence’ in the Middle East

Parolin met with the papal representatives of Bahrain, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine,... Read more

From left to right: Auxiliary Bishop of the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region Matthew G. Elshoff, St. Monica pastor Father Lloyd Torgerson, and Corpus Christi pastor Monsignor Liam Kidney celebrate Mass at St. Monica Church with Corpus Christi’s surviving tabernacle next to the altar on Jan. 12, 2025.?w=200&h=150

By María J. Moriarty

Hope rises from the ashes as Catholic aid mobilizes in California wildfires

A tabernacle that survived the blaze at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Pacific Palisades has come to epitomize hope for... Read more

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By Kate Quiñones

Bishop urges prayer, forgiveness on Roe anniversary: ‘No sin is beyond God’s mercy’

“No matter the circumstances of the abortion, we must recognize the often-silent grief of parents for their child,” Bishop Daniel... Read more

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By Courtney Mares

A look at Vatican City’s new artificial intelligence law

The decree titled “Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence” was enacted by the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State and came into... Read more

Women baptized by Prem Bhai climb to his memorial singing devotional songs during a 2018 observance of the Catholic missionary.?w=200&h=150

By Anto Akkara

Christians in northeast India unfazed by bid to revive 46-year-old anti-conversion law

The revival of the dormant law has been brought about by the Guwahati High Court, which ordered the state government... Read more

Opus Dei founder St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer in Mexico in 1970.?w=200&h=150

By Daniel Payne,Ken Oliver-Méndez

Opus Dei contests charges of malfeasance in author’s new book

The book, written by Gareth Gore, describes Opus Dei as “a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect” that “pushed its radical agenda... Read more

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his wife, Lis Cuesta Pedraza, present gifts to Pope Francis during their meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at the Vatican.?w=200&h=150

By Daniel Payne

White House to remove Cuba from terror list amid Vatican’s efforts at prisoner release

A senior administration official told media in a call on Tuesday that President Joe Biden would be lifting Cuba from... Read more

The Catholic Medical Association is arguing that the federal government acted unlawfully when in July 2022 it directed that hospitals and emergency rooms would be required to perform abortions under the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). ?w=200&h=150

By Daniel Payne

Catholic medical group sues Biden administration over emergency room abortion rule

The federal government is accused of acting unlawfully when in July 2022 it directed that hospitals and emergency rooms would... Read more

Ordinandi lie prostrate during the Litany of Saints during an ordination Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sept. 29, 2016.?w=200&h=150

By Walter Sánchez Silva

Italian bishop denies policy change on ordination of homosexuals

The Catholic Church in Italy generated fresh controversy last week when it published a new document on the formation of... Read more

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By Tyler Arnold

House passes bill to block males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 would deny federal funding to schools that permits biological... Read more