Articles by Elise Harris
Australian bishops oppose forcing priests to reveal details of confession
Aug 14, 2017 / 06:20 amThe bishops of Australia have indicated that they will resist the Royal Commission's proposal that priests be legally obligated to disclose details of sexual abuse revealed in the confessional, facing criminal charges if they don't.
Trust in Christ – not in horoscopes, Pope Francis says
Aug 13, 2017 / 03:41 amOn Sunday Pope Francis repeated a message he often has, warning against putting one's trust in horoscopes and fortune telling rather than Christ, who is the only true security that gets us through times of trial and darkness.
Our Lady of Kazan and Mary's affinity for Russia
Aug 12, 2017 / 15:02 pmOne hundred years ago, at the height of a cultural about-face in Russia, Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Portugal, predicting and encouraging prayer for Russia's conversion.
Pope orders Belgian religious group to stop offering euthanasia to patients
Aug 10, 2017 / 09:16 amPope Francis is cracking down on a Belgian Brothers of Charity-run organization, giving the group until the end of August to stop offering euthanasia to patients in their psychiatric centers.
Cardinal Parolin says urgency of peace a key reason for Russia trip
Aug 9, 2017 / 10:01 amVatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has said he will be going to Russia Aug. 20-24 largely out of a desire to promote peace both there and with the West, and to solidify relations with the Eastern Orthodox.
Pope names new bishop for Chaldean eparchy of San Diego
Aug 9, 2017 / 03:46 amThe Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Francis has named Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta as head of the eparchy of Saint Peter Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans, pulling him from his prior post in Canada.
Pope Francis: Jesus went to the cross for sinners, not the perfect
Aug 9, 2017 / 02:12 amOn Wednesday Pope Francis said the Church doesn't exist for people without faults, but for sinners in need of God's mercy – a point he often returns to – and lamented the fact that there are many Catholics who believe the opposite.
Ukranian archeparchy in Philadelphia gets a new auxiliary bishop
Aug 8, 2017 / 04:45 amOn Tuesday it was announced that Pope Francis has named Fr. Andriy Rabiy, who has a background in child protection, as an auxiliary bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
Pope urges Peruvians to focus on hope, unity ahead of trip
Aug 7, 2017 / 11:32 amPope Francis has sent a special message to Peruvians ahead of his visit to their country next year, telling them to look to the great saints of the nation as they prepare, and pointing to hope and unity as key areas of reflection.
Pope Francis visits Blessed Paul VI's tomb on anniversary of his death
Aug 7, 2017 / 10:51 amOn Sunday morning Pope Francis descended to the grotto beneath St Peter's Basilica, where many past Popes are buried, to pray at the tomb of Bl. Paul VI.
What makes Vivaldi unique among composers? He was a priest.
Aug 6, 2017 / 15:02 pmWhile Antonio Vivaldi's “Four Seasons” echoes in concert halls and elevators around the world, for some, his greatest masterpieces are not the scores resonating spring, summer, fall and winter, but rather his sacred music.
Pope prays for openness, courage at close of Asian Youth Day
Aug 6, 2017 / 05:04 amAs young people gathered in Indonesia for the 7th Asian Youth Day prepare to head home, Pope Francis sent a message encouraging them to be courageous, and to turn to Mary as a model of what it means to be a missionary.
Pope Francis: summer is an ideal time to re-focus our life on God
Aug 6, 2017 / 03:31 amOn Sunday Pope Francis said the Feast of the Transfiguration is an invitation to put God and others first, adding that the lazy summer months are the perfect time to take a step back and refocus on the essentials.
Pope shakes up Syro-Malankara Church with several new appointments
Aug 5, 2017 / 08:42 amOn Saturday, Pope Francis made several changes in the Syro-Malankara Church, found predominantly in India, establishing a new eparchy and naming several new bishops, as well as an apostolic visitor.
Pope voices sorrow at death of 'beloved' Cardinal Tettamanzi
Aug 5, 2017 / 08:06 amOn Saturday, Pope Francis sent a message mourning the death earlier that day of 83-year-old Italian Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, Archbishop Emeritus of Milan.
Artists take center stage in Pope's latest prayer video
Aug 5, 2017 / 03:24 amPope Francis has dedicated the month of August to praying for artists, praising them in his latest prayer video as heralds of God's beauty, and asking that through their work, they would help humanity discover the wonder of creation.
Vatican urges Venezuela to suspend constitutional revision
Aug 4, 2017 / 04:26 amAs tensions and deaths continue to rise in Venezuela over the government's push to re-write their constitution, the Holy See has urged the country's leaders to hold off on the constitutional assembly, focusing instead on alleviating the nation's crippling humanitarian crisis.
Why Cardinal Parolin's trip to Russia matters
Aug 3, 2017 / 05:01 amThe Vatican Secretary of State's visit to Russia later this month comes at a crucial juncture for the country, and is packed with both political and religious significance.
Vatican justice branch sets anti-corruption goals for 2018
Aug 2, 2017 / 08:32 amAfter hosting a discussion earlier this summer, the Vatican office for justice has outlined several goals and action points in their plan to fight corruption, which will be a central focus for the upcoming year.
Pope marks feast of St Ignatius by lunching with brother Jesuits
Jul 31, 2017 / 11:17 amTo mark Monday's feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, Pope Francis as usual visited his brother Jesuits at their General Curia house in Rome.