VATICAN CITY — In the humble act of washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus is showing all Christians how he wants them to serve others with love, Pope Francis said. “This is the legacy that Jesus leaves us,” and he wants it to be passed down through people’s loving service to others, he said. During the […]
Father John Catoir: Fear is the enemy of joy
Spiritual joy is a gift from God. Its enemy is fear. Jesus warned against fear over and over. Jesus came to earth so that our joy may be full. In the Bible, he repeatedly tells others to let go of fear. Controlling our fears is a spiritual duty, just as it was for his first […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: How do you explain the cross to a child?
Q Recently, I took my 4-year-old grandson to Mass. Above the altar, we have a very large crucifix and I noticed that, while looking at it, the boy was visibly shaken and quite upset. How does one explain Jesus on the cross to a 4-year-old? (Davenport, Iowa) A Recognizing that I know precious little about […]
Pope Francis goes to confession: Bless me, Father
Leading a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis surprised his liturgical adviser by going to confession during the service. After an examination of conscience March 28, the pope and 61 priests moved into confessionals or to chairs set up against the walls to offer the sacrament to individual penitents. However, as Msgr. Guido […]
Father Kenneth Doyle: Why fish, but no meat?
Q Why is it OK to eat fish on Fridays during Lent, but not other animals? Isn’t fish meat as well? Is shellfish, like lobster and shrimp, considered fish, and does the church allow its consumption on meatless days? (It seems to me that lobster is extravagant and shouldn’t be eaten during a season when […]
Bishops call for compassion, immigration reform with a visit to the Mexico-U.S. border
NOGALES, Ariz. With the backdrop a few feet away of the rusted iron slats of the 30-foot wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley and a dozen other bishops from three countries prayed April 1 for compassion and for a return to ideals that welcome immigrants. More than 300 people formed the […]
Pope Francis to married couples: Be icons of God’s love
VATICAN CITY Through the sacrament of matrimony, married couples are called to be living icons of God’s love in the world, Pope Francis said; and when they fight — and all couples do — they don’t have “to call the United Nations,” but find simple words and gestures to say they are sorry. Concluding a […]
Pope, Obama discuss religious freedom, life issues, immigration
U.S. President Barack Obama shares a laugh with Pope Francis as he receives a copy of the pope’s apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), during a private audience at the Vatican March 27. (CNS photo/Stefano Spaziani, pool) VATICAN CITY In their first encounter, Pope Francis received U.S. President Barack Obama at the […]
Pope Francis to fathers: Be at your children’s side
VATICAN CITY — On the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church and Jesus’ earthly father, Pope Francis urged all dads in the world to stick by their children’s side, teaching them, guiding them and loving them. “I ask that you have the grace to be very close to your children, letting […]
Pope Francis to the Mafia: Turn away now from the road to hell
ROME — Surrounded by survivors of innocent people killed by the Mafia, Pope Francis made an emotional appeal to Italian gangsters to give up their lives of crime and avoid eternal damnation. “Men and women of the Mafia, please change your lives, convert, stop doing evil,” the pope said at a prayer vigil March 21. […]