A rose named for the late Pope St. John Paul II has been included in a renovation of the White House Rose Garden. The Pope John Paul II rose, a white tea rose cultivar, is included in a redesign of the Rose Garden overseen by First Lady Melania Trump, which was unveiled Aug. 22. Other Read more
World
Makers of sacramental wine, altar bread suffer economic hit due to pandemic
Monday, August 24th, 2020With the global pandemic practically shutting everything down for months, the sacramental wine and altar bread business has suffered like other businesses in the country, with COVID-19 preventing most indoor public celebrations of the Mass. Catholics are for the most part unable to attend Mass in person and receive the Communion host and consecrated wine. Read more
PNG to be officially declared a ‘Christian country’
Monday, August 24th, 2020The Post Courier newspaper reported the preamble to the Constitution said PNG was founded on two basic principles – of cultural heritage and Christianity. Prime Minister James Marape said PNG had more than 20 different Christian churches. “Many who claim to be Christian integrate their Christian faith with some indigenous beliefs and practices,” he said. Read more
Immigrant raped wife because he believed sex was her ‘duty’ under Sharia Law
Monday, August 24th, 2020A Sudanese immigrant has been sentenced to four years jail after he used Sharia Law as an excuse to rape his wife. The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, forced himself onto his now ex-wife at their Perth home in 2012, the Western Australian District Court heard. Prosecutor Joel Grinceri said the Read more
Catholics to lead prayers for both Democrats and Republicans
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
The US Democrats and Republicans have both invited Catholics to lead the prayers at their respective parties’ conventions. Father James Martin SJ and Sister Simone Campbell (pictured), a Sister of Social Service and New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan were shoulder-tapped to pray at these key political events. Yesterday, Martin and Campbell’s prayers were offered during Read more
Nun’s help for transgender women gets pope’s blessing
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
Pope Francis has promised to pray for a nun and the transgender women the nun is helping. Discalced Carmelite nun Mónica Astorga Cremona wrote to Pope Francis telling him about the inauguration of a new housing complex she has established to help transgender women living in poverty. The new 12-studio apartment complex in Neuquén, Argentina, Read more
Diocese enforces 5 minute homily limit
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
Santa Fe priests exceeding the five-minute homily time limit have been warned they could lose the faculty to preach. The Santa Fe archdiocese says the restriction is part of its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a 31 July memo, Archdiocesan vicar general Fr. Glennon Jones says the archdiocesan chancery had “received reports of Read more
China forces abortion and infanticide on Uyghurs
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
Forced abortion and infanticide are being used to carry out China’s family planning policies, according to a former hospital worker in China’s Xinjiang province. Hospitals regularly force late-term abortions on Uyghur women and kill newborn Uyghur babies, says Hasiyet Abdulla, who presently lives in Turkey. Abdulla is one of many Uyghurs who have fled to Read more
COVID vaccines: Pope’s plea, remember the poor
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
Pope Francis is calling for universal availability of vaccines against coronavirus. Church teaching on giving priority to the well-being of the poor and marginalized is not a political or ideological choice; it lies at the very heart of the Gospel, Pope Francis said. The preferential option for the poor, which includes feeding the hungry and Read more
Trump claims COVID-19 is God testing him after he built ‘greatest economy in history.’
Thursday, August 20th, 2020Donald Trump claimed Monday that the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 170,000 Americans is God’s way of testing him. While boasting about the “economic miracle” he claims to have achieved before Covid-19 disrupted life across America, the president described having a conversation with God about his track record as president. “We built the greatest Read more