Almost half the population of East Timor gathered this week for an outdoor mass held by Pope Francis. The pontiff held East Timor’s first papal mass on Monday with over 600,000 worshipers in attendance — a jaw-dropping turn-out for a country with a population of approximately 1.3 million. “May the faith, which has enlightened and...
Pope John Paul II arrived in Miami, Florida, on this day in history, Sept. 10, 1987, to begin a 10-day tour of the United States. He was greeted by President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan as well as thousands of well-wishers. ”I come as a pilgrim, a pilgrim in the cause of justice...
Mother Teresa was canonized, or officially recognized as a saint, on this day in history, Sept. 4, 2016. She was given the title “Saint Teresa of Calcutta.” “Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life,...
A delegation representing the Holy See urged the United Nations this week to put a moratorium on autonomous weapons designed to kill without human decision-making. Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, gave the warning Monday during an expert session on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal...
Pope Francis is urging countries not to turn their backs on migrants at risk of dying as they seek refuge abroad. The pontiff deviated from his catechesis series during his Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square this week, instead focusing on what he called the “grave sin” of intentionally allowing migrants to die in...
Cardinal Albino Luciani was elected pope and took the name Pope John Paul I on this day in history, Aug. 28, 1978. John Paul I would have a very brief time as the head of the Catholic Church — dying of a heart attack just 33 days after his election. Born on Oct. 17, 1912,...
The opening ceremony of the Olympics was immediately under criticism, and it “saddened” Pope Francis. A statement released by the Vatican Saturday evening said there should be “no allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people.” “The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and can...
The conservative organization CatholicVote.org, a “lay movement of committed Catholics” headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, is calling Vice President Kamala Harris one of the most anti-Catholic politicians ever. It has launched a multimillion dollar campaign in heavily Catholic swing states to try to defeat her bid for the White House, Fox News is told. CatholicVote president...
