In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis said he will give an extraordinary blessing “urbi et orbi”. time March 27. “This Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m., I will preside over a moment of prayer outside of St. Peter’s Basilica with the square empty.” In addition to announcing the special blessing, Pope Francis Read more
General absolution is allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the global difficulty Catholic priests are having in hearing confessions, the Vatican says it is acceptable for bishops to offer general absolutions to certain groups of people. While the norm is an individual confesses their sins and celebrates the Sacrament of Reconciliation, General Absolution can be Read more
Ed Sheeran has had a tattoo in honour of his five future children. The Thinking Out Loud hitmaker – who is married to Cherry Seaborn – has added to his extensive collection of body art with a new inking of rings on his back, which he reportedly plans to dedicate to his kids in future Read more
Cyrus Habib, the lieutenant governor of Washington, will not seek re-election and is entering the Society of Jesus this fall, the lieutenant governor and the Society of Jesus confirmed to America on March 19. “I’ve felt a calling to dedicate my life in a more direct and personal way to serving the marginalized, empowering the Read more
The Vatican department for liturgy published guidelines Friday for bishops and priests on the celebration of Holy Week, the Triduum, and Easter liturgies during the coronavirus pandemic. The document recommends that bishops postpone those liturgies which may be postponed. It also indicates how priests and bishops can offer those celebrations which cannot be moved, such Read more
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has congratulated Uzbekistan on the passage this week of legislation set to end statelessness for some 50,000 people in the Central Asian country. In a statement issued late Thursday evening by his spokesperson, the UN chief said that in granting nationality to those who previously had none, Uzbekistan is “profoundly Read more
People under COVID-19 lockdown and isolated in their homes should take advantage of the time they have with their families, says Pope Francis. Francis pleads we “rediscover” the importance of “small, concrete gestures expressing closeness and concreteness toward the people closest to us, a caress for our grandparents, a kiss for our children, for the Read more
New polls in the US and UK show while regard for the Catholic Church is higher than it was this time last year, Pope Francis has fallen in favour. The latest Saint Leo University poll shows Americans’ favorable opinion of the Catholic Church in the US remains almost the same as in November, the public’s Read more
Pope Francis visited a deserted Rome on Sunday to pray at two shrines for the end of COVID-19. The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was his first stop. Then he walked along one of Rome’s usually busy main streets to visit St. Marcello church. There he prayed before a crucifix used in a procession when Read more
If asked about Catholicism, most people think of the pope, a Pew Research Center survey has found. The survey, published on Tuesday, found over half the respondents (4 percent) said “the pope,” “Pope Francis,” or “Pope John Paul II” when asked who they thought of first when they heard the word “Catholic.” Of those, 47 Read more