Baltimore, Md., Mar 6, 2018 / 02:42 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday, the Archdiocese of Baltimore celebrated a Blue Mass to honor the local police force and law enforcement officials, showing gratitude to the public servants and encouraging faithful lea… […]
Porgera, Papua New Guinea, Mar 6, 2018 / 01:41 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis is praying for all those affected by a major earthquake in Papua New Guinea this week, offering his condolences in a telegram on Tuesday.
The telegram, sent by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, expressed the Holy Father’s closeness in prayer to all those who are suffering in the southwestern Pacific nation.
“It was with great sadness that His Holiness Pope Francis learned of the tragic loss of life following the recent earthquake in Papua New Guinea,” the telegram said. “Commending the souls of the deceased to the mercy of Almighty God, he sends his heartfelt condolences to their families, and he assures all those affected by this disaster of his closeness in prayer.”
“Upon all those who mourn at this difficult time, and upon the emergency personnel involved in the important relief efforts, Pope Francis willingly invokes the divine blessings of strength and consolation.”
Early Monday morning, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake tore through a largely rural region of Papua New Guinea, about 50 miles south of Porgera.
According to the Red Cross, at least 67 people were killed in the earthquake, and hundreds more are believed to have been injured.
Tens of thousands are now in need in food, water and other necessities, and aid agencies say landslides and damage to main roads are delaying their ability to reach remote villages that were among the hardest hit by the quake.
“It’s very difficult to get accurate information because of damage to roads and the remoteness and ruggedness of the area, but it’s thought that 143,000 people have been affected and 17,000 displaced,” said Udaya Remi, the head of the Red Cross in Papua New Guinea, according to CNN.
Aftershocks as strong as 6.0-magnitude continue to shake the area, as local authorities have declared a state of emergency in the affected region.
Why are so many avoiding the key question: Why has belief in Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist diminished in recent decades? […]
Denver, Colo., Mar 6, 2018 / 11:57 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Walter Kasper has tried to address the controversy over some interpretations of Pope Francis’ exhortation Amoris Laetitia, but one theologian has said his theological language could… […]
Vatican City, Mar 6, 2018 / 10:54 am (CNA).- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, told CNA Tuesday that “Paul VI’s canonization will likely take place in October,” although nothing is official yet.
While it has been reported that the late pope’s canonization will take place after an October Synod of Bishops meeting, Parolin stressed to CNA late Tuesday afternoon that “we cannot say this with certainty, as the Pope needs to approve the miracle before, and then there must be a consistory to set the date of the canonization.”
Greg Burke, director of the Holy See Press Office, said that the canonization is “expected,” but that nothing can be said before it is officially scheduled.
Bl. Paul VI was beatified by Pope Francis Oct. 19, 2014.
After a person is beatified, another miracle, which takes place after the beatification, must be recognized to advance the cause of canonization. In Bl. Paul VI’s case, the miracle attributed to his intercession is the healing of an unborn child during the fifth month of pregnancy.
The child’s mother, originally from the province of Verona in northern Italy, was seriously ill, and her illness could have led to an abortion.
A few days after the Paul VI’s beatification, she asked for his intercession while praying at Santa Maria delle Grazie shrine in Brescia, the region from which Paul VI hailed. Her daughter, a girl was born healthy and remains in good health.
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints reportedly approved Bl. Paul VI’s miracle Feb. 6, and it now awaits approval from Pope Francis.
This Is Us offers a refreshingly positive depiction of fatherhood. […]
Guayaquil, Ecuador, Mar 6, 2018 / 12:07 am (ACI Prensa).- The San Luis Gonzaga shelter in Guayaquil, Ecuador, provides free lodging and care for people with HIV, including children who lost their parents due to the illness.
An outreach of the Archdioc… […]
Washington D.C., Mar 5, 2018 / 08:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In the aftermath of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. that killed 17 people, two US bishops have issued a joint statement calling for “common-sense gun measures” and dialogue about specific proposals that will reduce gun violence and ensure school safety.
“Once again, we are confronted with grave evil, the murder of our dear children and those who teach them. Our prayers continue for those who have died, and those suffering with injuries and unimaginable grief. We also continue our decades-long advocacy for common-sense gun measures as part of a comprehensive approach to the reduction of violence in society and the protection of life,” the statement said.
The statement was issued by Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Fla., chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice, and Bishop George V. Murry, S.J., of Youngstown, Ohio, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education.
The bishops said the idea of arming teachers “seems to raise more concerns than it addresses.” Rather, the bishops said “concepts that appear to offer more promise” would include “an appropriate minimum age for gun ownership,” universal background checks, and the banning of certain gun accessories, such bump stocks.
Previously, the USCCB has voiced support for several gun control measures, among them a ban on assault weapons, limits to high-capacity magazines, additional penalties for gun trafficking, as well as restrictions on who can purchase handguns. The USCCB is also in favor of child safety locks that prevent children from using guns.
The bishops also noted that violent images “inundate our youth.”
“We must explore ways to curb” these images, they said.
The bishops also pointed out that while the vast majority of people with mental health conditions are not violent, mental illness has played a role in many mass shootings. “We must look to increase resources and seek earlier interventions,” they said.
The Parkland shooter’s lawyers say that he has mental illness and “brain development issues.”
Since the shooting in Parkland, some Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students have become public advocates for increased gun control measures. The USCCB praised these students, saying that “the voices of these advocates should ring in our ears as they describe the peaceful future to which they aspire.”
Melbourne, Australia, Mar 5, 2018 / 05:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, arrived at a Melbourne court Monday to begin the first day of his preliminary hearing over sexual abuse charges brought aga… […]
A regime of pyramiding illusions that substitutes abuse for argument can’t last forever, and many wonder what will end it. […]
© Catholic World Report