Pope Francis welcomes Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III to the Vatican on Nov. 9, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI MENA, Nov 24, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Following the second meeting between Pope Francis and Mar Awa III, A… […]
Pope Francis speaks on the solemnity Christ the King in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Nov. 24, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
CNA Newsroom, Nov 24, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Marking the solemnity of Christ the King and the close of the… […]
Nave of St. Josaphat Ukranian Catholic Cathedral in Parma, Ohio. / Credit: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nov 24, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Like the Christian West, the various Eastern rites of the Church observe … […]
A candle of St. Jude. / Credit: Francesca Pollio/CNA
CNA Staff, Nov 24, 2024 / 15:25 pm (CNA).
A bishop in Illinois has halted in his diocese a traveling tour of a relic of St. Jude following an “incident” that allegedly took place between a vi… […]
Readings: • Dan 7:13-14 • Psa 93:1, 1-2, 5 • Rev 1:5-8 • Jn 18:33B-37 The kingship of Christ is paradoxical. For instance, we hear today, in the reading from The Apocalypse, that “Jesus Christ […]
I always knew Ross Douthat to be a good writer, able to advocate dispassionately and provide tight, persuasive arguments for his almost always sensible positions. The longtime New York Times columnist, who has somehow found a […]
“Roadmap to Reality: Carlo Acutis and Our Digital Age” is a new documentary film exploring the life of Carlo Acutis that will be coming to theaters in the spring of 2025. / Credit: Castletown Media
CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2024 / 10:00 am (CNA).
Castletown Media, the production company behind the new film “Roadmap to Reality: Carlo Acutis and Our Digital Age,” has announced that the National Eucharistic Congress Inc. and the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame have become official partners for the upcoming documentary exploring the life of the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint.
“The National Eucharistic Congress is passionate about reigniting devotion to the Eucharist in this country, and when we shared the project with them they were thrilled insofar as how this film really resonates with that mission,” the director of the new Acutis film and founder of Castletown Media, Tim Moriarty, told CNA in an interview.
In a press release, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the National Eucharistic Revival who appears in the film, said: “Soon-to-be St. Carlo Acutis is a modern apostle who can inspire young people to discover the incredible gift of the Eucharist. Carlo is the model for the kind of Eucharistic missionary we, as bishops, hope every Catholic will become.”
Meanwhile, the McGrath Institute, known for its work partnering with Catholics parishes, dioceses, and schools to offer resources and materials to address pastoral challenges, will be offering its expertise to the film’s production by developing educational materials for parishes and schools based on themes found in the documentary.
Moriarty explained that they began speaking with the McGrath Institute when they began to cover the issue of technology and the impact it’s having on young people while making the film. They interviewed several members of the McGrath team and realized that together they could “do more good.”
As partners, the McGrath Institute will specifically be creating material for youth preparing for their first Communion by helping them “understand what the Eucharist is at a time in their lives where screen addiction becomes increasingly problematic,” Moriarty explained.
On Nov. 20, Pope Francis announced the canonization date of Blessed Carlo Acutis, which will take place on April 27, 2025, during the Church’s Jubilee of Teenagers. Moriarty called this announcement “providential” as the film will be in theaters in time for the canonization.
“Roadmap to Reality” explores the life of Carlo Acutis and the lessons he offers young people regarding the challenges of the digital world. The documentary blends live action, animation, and documentary-style interviews with Acutis’ family, friends, tech experts, and scholars to tackle urgent questions about artificial intelligence and the technological world we live in.
“One of the themes in the film is that he [Acutis] was online to lead people offline,” Moriarty shared. “He was online to lead people back to the Eucharist, back to real encounters, and he’s a great model for us.”
“I think what Carlo did in his life was to show us that yes, we have to be engaging online, sharing the Gospel online, but we have to do it in a way where we don’t lose touch with the incarnational reality, which is fully present to us in the Eucharist, which is that real substantial presence. I think there’s something in that that is very powerful and for me has been really moving and healing the more I try to follow Carlo’s example,” Moriarty concluded.
Pope Francis smiles at his Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Newsroom, Nov 23, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).
The Holy See on Saturday confirmed the rumors that Pope Francis will undertake a one-day apostolic journey to Corsica next month — marking the first-ever papal visit to the island most famous for being Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that the pope had accepted an invitation from French civil and Church authorities to visit Ajaccio, the island’s capital, on Dec. 15, 2024.
The visit will be Pope Francis’ 47th apostolic journey abroad and his third visit to French territory, following trips to Strasbourg in 2014 and Marseille in 2023.
On both occasions, the pontiff spoke about migration. This visit continues Pope Francis’ engagement with the Mediterranean region, following earlier trips to Lampedusa, Lesbos, and Malta, where he emphasized the Church’s call to solidarity with migrants and coastal communities.
Pope Francis will be welcomed in Corsica’s capital, Ajaccio, by Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who was made a cardinal by Francis last year and leads a diocese where more than 80% of the island’s 340,000 inhabitants identify as Catholic.
The journey from Rome to Ajaccio’s Napoleon Bonaparte Airport will take just over an hour — making this one of the pope’s shortest international trips, covering roughly 186 miles. Though technically a visit to French territory, the Mediterranean island lies closer to Italy than to mainland France.
The pontiff’s schedule includes the concluding session of a congress dedicated to Mediterranean popular religiosity in the morning, followed by an afternoon Mass at the historic Place d’Austerlitz — known locally as “U Casone.”
The pope will pray the Angelus with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, and seminarians at Ajaccio’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.
The mountainous Mediterranean island is known for its distinctive religious traditions, including a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary. The island’s unofficial anthem, “Diu vi Salvi Regina,” is originally based on a rendition of Hail, Holy Queen.
Drawing from the Acts of the Apostles (10:38), the visit’s motto, “Jesus went about doing good,” reflects what Vatican sources describe as the fundamentally pastoral nature of the pope’s presence among the faithful.
The journey’s official logo prominently features Mary, venerated as Queen of Corsica, set against Mediterranean blues and incorporating traditional Christian symbolism — including a cross representing faith in Christ and a descending line suggesting the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Archbishop Boris Godziak, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archiparagi of Philadelphia. / Credit: “EWTN News in Depth”/Screenshot
CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).
A Ukrainian archbishop says he has encouraged President-elect Donald… […]
A groom flashes a peace sign at wedding-goers while processing out of St. Mary’s Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, after having his marriage sacramentally blessed at the Marriage Mass on Oct. 19, 2024. / Credit: Nicholas Elbers/The … […]
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