Articles by Adelaide Mena
A modern-day St Francis? Archbishop works to rebuild Syrian Church amid destruction
May 15, 2015 / 05:01 amA four-year civil war in Syria has left a mounting death toll and displaced millions of persons, but one bishop is staying to rebuild the Church in Aleppo, in the northwest corner of the country.
Nun asks jury for mercy, to spare Boston bomber's life
May 11, 2015 / 15:26 pmIn the defense’s final move to save the life of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Sister Helen Prejean asked the jury not to execute the young man.
Hopelessness and heroin – what fueled the Baltimore riots and what now?
May 10, 2015 / 16:17 pmAs Baltimore works to recover from riots and protests after the death of 25 year-old Freddie Gray, the Church is working to reach a wounded community with a long history of pain and little hope.
For Catholics in West Baltimore, the only answer to violence is community
May 5, 2015 / 03:54 amAfter unrest erupted in Baltimore following the death of 25 year-old Freddie Gray, Catholics stepped up to restore their communities and pray for peace and justice in their neighborhoods.
Supreme Court doesn't tip hand: asks tough questions of both sides in marriage case
Apr 28, 2015 / 14:15 pmU.S. Supreme Court justices asked tough questions of both plaintiffs and respondents at oral arguments on Tuesday in a possibly landmark marriage case that will probably be decided in June.
Archbishop Kurtz on March for Marriage: Sacrament is much more than "adult friendship"
Apr 25, 2015 / 13:59 pmA diverse crowd of thousands of people from across the U.S. gathered in front of the US Capitol to speak and stand in defense of marriage on Saturday.
Senate reaches compromise on abortion funding in trafficking bill
Apr 23, 2015 / 09:19 amAfter six weeks of gridlock, members of both parties in the Senate bridged a disagreement over abortion funding in a new human trafficking bill by dividing up funding streams for the new project.
Why no Catholic is exempt from caring about the environment
Apr 22, 2015 / 03:25 amWhat does it mean to be truly pro-life? Amid debates over abortion and the death penalty, Catholic ecologists say that one issue is often overlooked in discussions involving human life and dignity – the environment.
Passover and the Passion: Jewish roots enrich Holy Week celebrations
Apr 2, 2015 / 06:54 amAs Catholics around the globe prepare for the Easter Triduum, the three-day period beginning with Holy Thursday and culminating in the celebration of Easter, the Jewish community prepares for its own liturgical celebration of Passover, remembering how God freed their ancestors from slavery in Egypt.
Supreme Court rules in favor of pregnancy protection in the workplace
Mar 28, 2015 / 05:25 amA recent ruling from the Supreme Court to clarify workplace protections for pregnant women will help remedy some of the pressure placed on working women to abort rather than continue pregnancies, pro-life legal experts say.
Tears for Farkhunda: Catholics join fury over savage killing of Afghan woman
Mar 25, 2015 / 10:57 amAfter last week’s horrific mob killing of a young woman in Afghanistan, Catholics are calling for a re-dedication to religious liberty and human rights worldwide.
Want women's equality? Don't downplay 'feminine genius,' Holy See tells UN
Mar 23, 2015 / 14:52 pmThe recognition of women’s special and integral role in human progress cannot overlook the dignity of women as wives, mothers and a voice for the vulnerable, a Vatican official told the United Nations this month.
How art and technology are clearing up 'miscontraceptions' on women’s fertility
Mar 6, 2015 / 04:13 amRead the headlines of major news outlets and you might think women’s fertility is an unknowable force understandable only by “voodoo” or some other inscrutable form of divination.
Does 'never again' have any meaning? Human rights after the Holocaust
Feb 1, 2015 / 16:01 pmEven though it ended seventy years ago, the Holocaust still gives a stark and relevant warning on dehumanization and persecution today, say leaders on human rights and Holocaust history.
'Red flags' in Kenyan vaccine controversy demand answers
Nov 13, 2014 / 13:15 pmOrganizers in charge of a controversial vaccination campaign in Kenya should be transparent and cooperate with the Kenyan bishops’ request for investigation of the program, says a leading Catholic bioethicist.
A broken system: Calls for immigration reform continue after election
Nov 12, 2014 / 19:01 pmUncertainties about the future of immigration reform, given Republicans' new-found control of both houses of Congress, do not decrease the need for changes to the immigration system says a Catholic immigration expert.
UK pro-lifers throw rare legal punch against sex-selective abortion
Nov 12, 2014 / 10:40 amClaiming that the government has turned a blind eye to sex-selective abortions, British pro-life activists are launching a rare private prosecution against two doctors accused of promoting the illegal practice.
On Veteran's Day, pray for those who made the 'ultimate sacrifice'
Nov 11, 2014 / 04:01 amThe commemoration of Veterans’ Day offers Catholics the opportunity to pray for the souls of those who have fallen and for the consolation of those wounded, says the archbishop of the U.S. armed services.
Don't claim Pope Francis for your own agenda, Kasper says amid controversy
Nov 6, 2014 / 20:41 pmIn the wake of an intense Synod on the Family, a leading voice supporting admission to Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics said different sides on Church debates should not use Pope Francis' words to bolster their own agenda.
UK push to ban gender-based abortions hailed as pro-woman
Nov 6, 2014 / 00:02 amThe British Parliament's move to ban sex-selective abortion is a move to defend women's rights – including the right to be born – say supporters of the legislation.