Articles by Alan Holdren
Death of John Paul II’s father propelled him to his future vocation
Feb 14, 2011 / 13:29 pmSeventy years ago this week, Karol Wojtyla was “pushed” forward in his vocation by the death of the last member of his close family.
Egyptian Christians urged to work for equal rights in post-Mubarak government
Feb 14, 2011 / 12:16 pmChristians need to cooperate in creating Egypt’s new government to ensure that all of the nation’s citizens are treated as equals, according to Jesuit Fr. Samir Khalil Samir.
Number of priests growing worldwide, Vatican reports
Feb 11, 2011 / 15:35 pmThere are more than 5,000 more Catholic priests globally in 2009 than there were in 1999, according to official Church statistics.
Vatican Radio celebrates 80 years, focuses on digital future
Feb 11, 2011 / 13:13 pmThe Vatican’s radio station is celebrating its 80th anniversary — with a nod to its distinguished past but clearly focused on the digital future that lies ahead.
Concerns voiced that Middle East Synod was misunderstood by Muslims
Feb 10, 2011 / 11:52 amThe Vatican’s 2010 meeting for the Middle East has been misunderstood by many in the region as calling for a “new crusade” against Islam.
Vatican denies clampdown on liturgical reform
Feb 9, 2011 / 14:55 pmThe Vatican has denied an Italian newspaper analyst's claim that one of its departments will be dedicating itself to a stricter interpretation of the Second Vatican Council's liturgical changes.
New Confession app is no substitution for the sacrament, Vatican says
Feb 9, 2011 / 10:12 amThe sacrament of Confession “cannot be substituted by any computer application,” the Vatican said Feb. 9. The remarks by papal spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, came amid a flurry of misleading international media reports on a new application developed for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod.
Catholic nurses seeing rise in threats to consciences, association reports
Feb 7, 2011 / 12:06 pmCatholic health care workers are facing a worldwide erosion of spiritual and moral standards in their profession, according to the leader of a Vatican-affiliated organization for Catholic nurses.
As Egypt protests continue, Cairo patriarch concerned about rise of a ‘religious state’
Feb 5, 2011 / 09:50 amThe head of Egypt’s tiny Catholic minority is urging a return to order in the country after 11 days of anti-government protests.
Pope's Lenten spiritual exercises to focus partly on John Paul II
Feb 4, 2011 / 16:00 pmThis year's week-long Vatican retreat to begin the Lenten season will focus in part on Pope Benedict XVI's predecessor.
Vatican to update bioethics guidelines for Catholic health care workers
Feb 4, 2011 / 10:37 amThe Vatican department in charge supporting Catholic health care workers has announced that it will soon release updated guidelines on bioethics issues.
Pope promotes 'gripping' new Youth Catechism
Feb 3, 2011 / 11:59 amThe Pope has great expectations for the "Youcat," a text designed to teach young people the ABC's of Catholicism using a language tailored to their generation.
Church leaders in Egypt see signs of new unity among Christians and Muslims
Feb 2, 2011 / 11:46 amAs massive demonstrations moved into their second week in Cairo — with more than 250,000 protesters filling the streets demanding an end to the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak — the Vatican’s top ambassador said there is a “sense of uncertainty” in the north African nation.
Beneath turmoil in the Middle East, signs of new movement for Muslim renewal
Jan 31, 2011 / 19:05 pmRecent political turmoil in the Islamic strongholds of Egypt and Tunisia, along with continuing attacks on Christians throughout the Middle East, risk overshadowing a quiet reform movement taking place among moderate Muslim religious leaders and scholars.
Orange County bishop says Vietnamese Catholic Church will outlive its struggles
Jan 31, 2011 / 07:29 amThe Catholic Church in Vietnam battles heavy government restrictions on its freedom to be involved in charitable works, health care and education, but it will survive as it always has, says a bishop who leads Vietnamese Catholics in California.
Papal adviser finds holes in new study on abortion and mental health
Jan 29, 2011 / 14:08 pmA new study concluding that women who have abortions are not at risk for later psychological problems used questionable methodology, comments Dr. Carlo Bellieni, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Vatican to launch dialogue with non-believers in March
Jan 26, 2011 / 12:03 pmDialogue between the Vatican, agnostics and atheists will take place in a new arena as of this spring.
Period of 'moral distress' in Italy must change, says cardinal
Jan 26, 2011 / 11:12 amThe head of Italy's bishops, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, painted a dire picture of the current state of Italian public life and politics in a recent speech. Despite the difficulties created by the "present situation," Italians must not give in to pessimism but should shift their attention to "change for the better," he said.
Pope calls for Christian presence on social networking sites
Jan 24, 2011 / 10:23 amFacebook, MySpace and Twitter should be used by Christians looking to bring "truth, proclamation and authenticity of life" to the web today, the Pope said in his message for the 45th World Day of Social Communications.
Pope blesses special lambs on Feast of St. Agnes
Jan 21, 2011 / 15:50 pmAfter an unusual journey, a pair of lambs destined for great things were blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in a traditional ceremony at the Vatican on Jan. 21.