When Churches Apologize by Sr. Donna Geernaert, SC   Pope Francis Apologizes on behalf of the Catholic Church On two occasions this past year, Pope Francis has expressed his deep sorrow for the pain and trauma suffered by former students of residential schools and their descendants. At the end of March, he met with ...read more

In today’s catechesis on discernment, Pope Francis examines desolation and sadness. He emphasizes not making changes when you are desolate and not being led astray by desolation.   Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! Discernment, as we have seen in the previous catecheses, is not primarily a logical procedure; it is based on actions, and actions ...read more

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis is set to make a four-day visit to Bahrain, a journey that will make him the first pope to visit the Arab kingdom just off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. The visit Nov. 3-6 has two main goals: to speak at the Bahrain Forum for ...read more

At the Colosseum in Rome on October 25, Pope Francis addressed an interreligious prayer meeting for peace. At a time when “the use of atomic weapons is threatened outright,” even in Europe, the Holy Father’s prayer for peace was “a heartfelt plea” and an appeal to the progress in “fraternal relations between religions.”   Prayer ...read more

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every year, for more than three decades, the Vatican tribunal dealing with matters of conscience has offered a course to help priests in their “ministry of mercy” as confessors. The huge number of participants, from 500 to 800 ordained and soon-to-be ordained men, who attend the course sponsored by the Apostolic ...read more

In today’s catechesis, Pope Francis continues to teach on the theme of discernment. He invites us, following St. Augustine’s example, to read our own life histories, learn to recognize the presence of “toxic” elements in our lives, and then broaden our narrative and notice the “discreet ways in which God acts in our life.” Read ...read more

Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Day on Oct 23, 2022 was released in January 2022. In the message, the Holy Father mentions how World Mission Day offers us the opportunity to commemorate several important events in the Church’s life and mission. Pope Francis’ Message for World Mission Day 2022 “You shall be my witnesses” ...read more

If you’re in the Church, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore our missionary call. This something Pope Francis has continually talked about since his first year of papacy: go out to the peripheries; get out of the sacristies; go and make disciples of all nations. In a way, the ground was prepared by Pope ...read more

Whenever I see a rosary hanging on someone’s rear-view mirror, I automatically feel a kinship with the Catholic driver. However, a rosary is not a decoration. It is a powerful spiritual tool, and popes have been encouraging Catholics to pray the Rosary for years. Since October is the month of the Rosary, here are three ...read more

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (CNS) — As parish youth coordinator at St. Matthew’s in Surrey, Eleanor Wong sees firsthand the struggles that young people have with the church, so she’s welcoming a new pastoral letter from Canada’s bishops that tells young people they have unique contributions to make to the church and to the world. The ...read more