Articles by Courtney Mares
Pope Francis: Prayer opens the door to freedom through the Holy Spirit
Apr 20, 2020 / 02:40 amFreedom is found in the Holy Spirit who provides the strength to fulfill God's will, Pope Francis said in his Monday morning Mass homily.
Pope to offer Divine Mercy Sunday Mass in church with St. Faustina’s relics
Apr 17, 2020 / 09:00 amOn Divine Mercy Sunday Pope Francis will offer Mass in a church containing the relics of both St. Faustina Kowalska and St. John Paul II.
Pope Francis again calls for 'justice, charity, and solidarity' after coronavirus pandemic
Apr 17, 2020 / 07:00 amPope Francis continued his call Friday to see the coronavirus pandemic in light of Christ’s resurrection, in a Spanish-language article published Friday.
Pope Francis prays for the elderly afraid of dying alone amid pandemic
Apr 15, 2020 / 07:05 amPope Francis prayed for the elderly who are afraid of dying alone at his morning Mass on Wednesday.
One year after the fire, a French priest's tribute to Notre-Dame
Apr 14, 2020 / 22:01 pmFor Fr. Pierre Amar, Notre-Dame de Paris has always been a masterpiece, “the very example of supreme beauty,” but now the Marian cathedral is also “a great burnt victim.”
Updated: Call claiming to be pope was 'a prank,' sister says
Apr 14, 2020 / 04:30 amSister Angel Bipendu told CNA Tuesday that the call she received on Holy Saturday claiming to be from Pope Francis thanking her for her medical treatment of coronavirus patients was a prank call.
Cardinal Tagle urges leaders to ensure healthcare for all in coronavirus crisis
Apr 13, 2020 / 04:00 amIn his Easter message, the president of Caritas Internationalis called on governments to ensure access to healthcare and social protections for all amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Pope Francis’ Easter blessing: May Christ dispel the darkness of our suffering humanity
Apr 12, 2020 / 04:05 amIn his Easter blessing, Pope Francis called on humanity to unite in solidarity and look to the risen Christ for hope amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis recalls priests dying amid pandemic
Apr 9, 2020 / 12:30 pmPope Francis recalled the priests who have lost their lives during the coronavirus crisis as he offered the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in a nearly empty St. Peter’s Basilica.
China’s first saint was martyred on a cross in Wuhan
Apr 9, 2020 / 07:00 amChina’s first canonized saint was martyred by suffocation on a cross in Wuhan, the epicenter of today’s coronavirus pandemic.
Retired Scripture professor is first priest known to die in Rome of coronavirus
Apr 8, 2020 / 13:45 pmFr. Miguel Ángel Tábet is believed to be the first priest to die of the coronavirus in Rome. Two other priests living in the same residence of Opus Dei in Rome remain hospitalized.
Notre-Dame Cathedral to broadcast crown of thorns veneration on Good Friday
Apr 7, 2020 / 06:00 amOne year after the world watched the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris burn, the Archbishop of Paris will display the relic of Christ’s crown of thorns for veneration during a Good Friday broadcast.
Raphael revisited: Vatican offers virtual tour 500 years after artist's death
Apr 6, 2020 / 11:10 amToday marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael, the Renaissance painter responsible for “The School of Athens” and “The Transfiguration.”
God will judge us by how we treated the poor, says Pope Francis
Apr 6, 2020 / 04:00 amMany people suffering from poverty are victims of the “structural injustice” of today’s global economy, Pope Francis said in his daily Mass homily on Monday.
Pope Francis on Palm Sunday: Let us stand before the crucifix in our homes
Apr 5, 2020 / 04:00 amOn Palm Sunday, Pope Francis offered Mass in a nearly empty St. Peter’s Basilica and urged Catholics quarantined at home to remember "what really matters" in life: loving God and serving others.
Italian bishops offer Mass for coronavirus victims, including 87 priests
Apr 2, 2020 / 13:00 pmBishops throughout Italy visited cemeteries last week to pray and offer Mass for the souls of those who died after contracting the coronavirus. Among the 13,915 coronavirus deaths in Italy, at least 87 have been priests.
China owes ‘apology and compensation’ for coronavirus, says cardinal
Apr 2, 2020 / 07:30 amPoor countries are suffering from the coronavirus because of the Chinese Communist Party’s negligence and repression, a cardinal from Burma said Thursday
Pope Francis prays for media covering the coronavirus pandemic
Apr 1, 2020 / 04:00 amPope Francis offered a prayer for media professionals who are covering the coronavirus pandemic before his daily Mass on Wednesday.
African cardinal tests positive for coronavirus as pandemic spreads across the continent
Mar 31, 2020 / 09:28 amCardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso has tested positive for the coronavirus, his archdiocese announced Tuesday. He is the second cardinal known to have tested positive for the virus, which is now a global pandemic.
Vatican flags at half-staff in solidarity with coronavirus victims
Mar 31, 2020 / 03:15 amMore than 11,500 people have died of COVID-19 in Italy after a total of 101,739 people have been documented by the Italian Ministry of Health as infected with the coronavirus.