Thousands of people with candles filled the area surrounding the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday evening, where Pope Francis presided over the traditional dramatic ritual of the Way of the Cross, a meditation on the crucifixion of Jesus. The
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has launched a petition on the White House website that urges the Obama administration to grant permanent legal status to the Romeike family of Germany. The family sought asylum in the United States
Vatican Radio has published an unofficial translation of the text of the speech given by then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina to his brother cardinals during the pre-conclave General Congregation meetings held prior to the voting to elect the new pope.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns the Foxwoods Resort Casino in southeastern Connecticut, is among federally recognized tribes that, although considered “sovereign nations,” are seeking increased revenues through grants from the U.S. government. According to the Associated Press, the
In his homily for Palm Sunday, the beginning of the holiest week of the year for Christians, Pope Francis spoke directly to the thousands of young people who came to celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Square and see the new
In his first address on the world’s affairs to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis was very clear about one thing: no one should assume that because he is devoted to the poor and the goal of peace in
Vice President Joe Biden led the White House delegation to the Vatican last week for the inaugural Mass of newly elected Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires. Biden, a self-professed Catholic, told a gathering of Irish-Americans
On Friday the North Dakota state House passed the first personhood amendment in the United States, marking the first time in U.S. history that a legislative body has approved a personhood amendment in both the House and the Senate. The
A bill that would allow federal disaster relief funds to be extended to houses of worship that suffered damage in the wake of Superstorm Sandy is stalled in the Senate. The bill was passed in bipartisan fashion (354-72) on February
According to Catholic News Agency (CNA), Pope Francis had some unfinished business in Argentina to take care of this week:cancelling his daily newspaper subscription. CNA reports that on Monday, the new pontiff surprised the owner of a kiosk in Buenos
The Hartford Courant reports that one week before the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, state officials offered the manufacturer of the Bushmaster firearm a development deal to move its corporate headquarters to Connecticut. Law enforcement officials have indicated
If they didn’t know it before, Americans are now gradually discovering that ObamaCare is not about health care; it’s about regulating the cost of health care and those who provide it. While many health care providers will soon be taking
Wearing white vestments, Pope Francis celebrated his inaugural Mass on Tuesday, March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph, the simple carpenter and husband of Mary, and the man who raised Jesus. Catholics refer to St. Joseph as the “protector” of
The State Department said on Friday that the U.S. government “would take very seriously” a request from the Organization for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) that it monitor the papal election in the Vatican. Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said she
The White House announced on Friday that Vice President Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will represent President Obama at the inaugural Mass of Pope Francis on Tuesday. Georgetown University President Dr. John J. DeGioia and New Mexico
Within hours of being elected pope by his fellow cardinals, Pope Francis sent a letter to Rome’s chief rabbi, Riccardo di Segni, expressing his hope that as the new leader of the Church he could “contribute to the progress that
According to Newsmax, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said that the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina as the new pontiff “marks a great milestone in our church.” Dolan said that the new pope, a Jesuit, told
From his first moments as the new pontiff, Pope Francis demonstrated his humility and his belief in the dignity of all humans by bowing as he asked the crowds in St. Peter’s Square to pray over him. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio
A New York Times editorial has distorted the truth regarding several nations’ insistence on retaining certain human rights language in the final document of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women. The editorial has accused the Vatican, among others,
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged members of the U.S. House of Representatives to support the Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013 introduced by
According to Vatican Radio, the College of Cardinals attended a Mass together, “for the election of a pope,” on Tuesday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica, in advance of the voting process that will ultimately determine the next successor to St.
Last Tuesday, the Boston Globe published an editorial in which it reneged on its full support for President Obama’s signature health care legislation’s implementation in Massachusetts. The editorial, entitled, “Mass. Needs An Obamacare Waiver for Small-Business Health Plans,” argues that while
Rev. Brian Costello, pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic parish in San Francisco, wrote in his March 3rd church bulletin that he decided to remove a picture of now-Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in order not to offend members of
A study that concluded that gun violence costs Americans at least $12 billion per year was published on the front page of USA Today on March 5th. The research was conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE),
Though four in ten Catholics live in Latin America–more than in any other region of the world–most Latin Americans do not believe the next pope will be one of the area’s 19 cardinals. In fact, many Latin Americans are somewhat
