Supreme Court to hear arguments about California abortion law

Pope Francis greets pilgrims at his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Oct. 18, 2023. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Oct 26, 2023 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Holy Land, Pope Francis has called for a day of prayer and fasting on Friday, Oct. 27. 

At the end of his general audience on Oct. 18, Pope Francis said the 27th will be “a day of penance to which I invite sisters and brothers of the various Christian denominations, those belonging to other religions, and all those who have at heart the cause of peace in the world, to join in as they see fit.”

A prayer vigil will take place at 6 p.m. in St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful will join the pope to participate in “an hour of prayer in a spirit of penance to implore peace in our time, peace in this world.” 

“I ask all the particular Churches to participate by arranging similar activities involving the people of God,” the pope said.

Here are several ways to take part:

Attend Mass

If your local parish is already planning to have a Mass for this day of prayer for the Holy Land, consider attending. Some archdioceses have already announced Masses taking place, such as those of Detroit and Philadelphia. However, if you’re unable to make it or your parish is not having a Mass specifically for this day, you can also attend a daily Mass.

Make a Holy Hour

The tradition of a Holy Hour goes back to 1674 when Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and instructed her to spend an hour every Thursday meditating on his sufferings in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

Typically, a Holy Hour is done in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament; however, a Holy Hour can be done at any time and anywhere — in your home, in a church, or even outside in nature. During a Holy Hour you can read Scripture, listen to worship music, journal, spend time in contemplation, or simply sit and talk with God.

Pray the rosary

As many of the saints have said, the rosary is a powerful weapon. Dedicate a rosary for peace in Israel and Palestine. If you don’t have time to say a rosary all at once, break it up throughout the day by saying a decade when you can.

Fast

When fasting, the Church allows people to eat one full meal as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. However, food isn’t the only way one can fast. Staying off social media for the day, not having your morning coffee, turning off your music in the car and instead spending some time in prayer, or giving up anything you consider important in your day are all ways you can fast. 

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Similar to the rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet is a powerful prayer. Given by Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska, the chaplet is prayed with a rosary and only takes a couple of minutes. Many Catholics recite the chaplet at 3 p.m. because it is known as the “hour of great mercy” as we remember Christ’s death on the cross at 3 p.m. on Good Friday. 

Read the Bible

Spending time with the word of God is just as important as prayer. Try to start your day by reading a Gospel passage or just open your Bible and read whatever page it opens to and spend time thinking of what God is trying to tell you. If you’re not sure what to read, the Psalms are always a great option.

Give alms

If you are in a position to help those suffering in the Middle East financially, there are several organizations accepting donations in order to help with critical relief. Catholic Relief Services is working to provide families with assistance in the Holy Land and Palestine. Others include Aid to the Church in Need, Caritas International, and World Central Kitchen.

[…]

Washington D.C., Feb 2, 2021 / 11:05 am (CNA).- A North Dakota bill that would have required priests to violate the seal of confession has been withdrawn by its co-sponsor. 

The bill, SB 2180, required priests or other religious figures to report cases of child abuse or neglect to the authorities if they learned about the abuse in a confession or private conversation. 

State Sen. Judy Lee (R-West Fargo), who co-sponsored the bill, requested on Jan. 29 that it be withdrawn from consideration. Lee said the controversial bill had become “a distraction” and cited a “lack of understanding about the goal and the circumstances.”

Current state law provides a religious exception for mandatory reporting of confirmed or suspected child abuse. Cases when “the knowledge or suspicion [of abuse] is derived from information received in the capacity of spiritual adviser,” such as in the confessional, do not require reporting the abuse to authorities. The bill sponsored by Lee and other senators would have revoked that exception.

The North Dakota Catholic Conference published a statement on Friday agreeing with Lee’s goals of fighting child abuse, but disagreeing over her legislation. 

“We share in Senator’s Lee call to do more to prevent child abuse.  We simply disagreed about the bill,” said a statement from the North Dakota Catholic Conference on its Facebook page on Friday. 

“The North Dakota Catholic Conference looks forward to working with her and all legislators for the protection of the weakest among us and the common good,” the conference said, thanking all who contacted their state senators in opposition to the legislation. 

Lee said that the conversation regarding child abuse “has to continue.” 

“We all need to do what we can to protect these little ones by intervening,” she said. 

According to the Code of Canon Law, the seal of confession is “inviolable.” A priest cannot reveal the contents of a confession, nor can he say if the confession took place; for violating the seal, a priest can incur a latae sententiae excommunication.

Both of North Dakota’s bishops had previously written letters to Catholics saying that the state’s bill violated religious freedom.

Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck on Jan. 20 described the bill as one that would “[m]ake the State and not our beloved Catholic Church the moderator of our faith and our sacramental life.” 

“If this bill passes it will have a direct impact on every Catholic in the State,” he said. “If this bill passes it will impede directly our free exercise of our religious beliefs and practices.”

The Bishop of Fargo said the bill was “inherently biased against religion.” 

“The Church condemns the abuse of minors by any person. Priests and deacons are already mandated reporters of any suspected abuse of a minor,” Bishop John Folda of Fargo stated on Jan. 22. “Up until now, spiritual advising has been exempted from this mandate, but SB 2180 would end this exemption.”

Folda stated that the bill, if it became law, would “violate the rights of all people of faith to practice their religion without government interference.”

Furthermore, he warned that “for centuries, tyrants have attempted to infiltrate the sanctity of the confessional for their own ends, and this is yet another attempt to violate the sacred confidentiality of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.”

[…]

Landry Weber, a K-State player who is discerning and intends to enter seminary. / Courtesy photo.

Salina, Kan., Jan 7, 2022 / 16:15 pm (CNA).
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