Anyone can commit suicide. It’s done all the time. But recently we have seen a movement toward legalization of assisted suicide. It seems that the right to die soon becomes the duty to die. Given medical expenses in today’s world, some are tempted to say that it costs too much money to stay alive. The […]
Shroud shows what pain Jesus endured, says speaker
PITTSBURGH — Donald Nohs, who is an expert on the Shroud of Turin, widely believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus, talked to a Pittsburgh audience about the evidence of authenticity for the shroud. Jesus’ passion, Nohs noted, was much more than a physical suffering. It was the humiliation and embarrassment of being scourged […]
Experts say euthanasia threatens improvements in palliative end-of-life care
VATICAN CITY — Legalizing euthanasia risks undermining people’s access to loving, holistic care as they face the natural end of their life, many experts at a Vatican conference said. As more parts of the world, like in Quebec last year, pass right-to-die legislation allowing the terminally ill to request lethal drugs, euthanasia is being treated […]
Effie Caldarola: A time to render your heart
There was a time in medieval history and in some places even later when believers would use extreme methods of self-discipline, or self-punishment, during Lent, as a penance for sin. We’re most familiar with these practices from movies we’ve seen, or in my case, the historical novels I enjoy reading. Hair shirts that bit at […]
Pope Francis: ‘Who, me? Yes, you’ … Judge yourself, not others
VATICAN CITY — Drop the innocent look and the habit of judging others, Pope Francis said; recognizing one’s own faults and failings is the first requirement of being a good Christian. In fact, paradoxically, one finds peace and relief in judging one’s own sins, being merciful toward others and saying, “Who am I to judge?” […]
Nigerian bishops deplore insurgents’ use of children as suicide bombers
LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s bishops criticized Boko Haram insurgents’ use of children to commit crimes such as suicide bombings. “We deplore the fact that young children are used to commit such crimes, and the fact that young Nigerians are used by politicians to intimidate and inflict violence on their political opponents is a disturbing symptom […]
Pope plans to canonize St. Therese’s parents during family synod
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is expected to canonize Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, during the world Synod of Bishops on the family in October. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, leading a conference Feb. 27 on the role of saints in the life […]
Church historian says some papal opposition unprecedented
EDMONTON, Alberta — Pope Francis is a radical reformer who is facing enemies — inside and outside of the church — opposed to at least some parts of his agenda, said a prominent church historian. Massimo Faggioli, an expert on the Second Vatican Council and the author of several books, said the pope is not […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: Can a felon enter holy orders?
Q: I am currently incarcerated in federal prison. My question may seem strange, but I am wondering whether it would ever be possible for an ex-convict, a felon, to be accepted into holy orders. When I was a child, I was never baptized or brought up in any particular religion, but I had a strong […]
Pope Francis: Don’t let meatless Fridays be selfish, soulless, seafood splurge
Pope Francis elevates the Eucharist during Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome Feb. 18. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) VATICAN CITY — Real fasting isn’t just restricting food choices, it must also include cleansing the heart of all selfishness and making room in one’s life for those in need and those […]
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