Lent is a period when the Catholic Church reflects on the mystery of Christ. As He went in to the desert before suffering the pain of his death and the glory of his resurrection, we also stop to prepare our souls for the great joy of Easter. As Catholics we all know we have an ...read more

Each year on Good Friday, dioceses and parishes in Canada and around the world hold a Collection for the Holy Land. Cardinal Leonardi Sandro, Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, has issued a letter to promote this Collection. His letter includes a report (in English only) by the Custody for the Holy Land on ...read more

The fruits of a papal visit are often not noticeable until after the banners and altars have come down.  In Cuba it didn’t take long to see the gifts of the papal visit. Catholic News Service reported this week on the impact the Pope’s overnight stay in El Cobre. The preparations alone meant that infrastructure ...read more

As Catholics we all know we have an obligation to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but does anyone stop to think what this means? Does it make sense nowadays to give up meat? Lent is a period when the Catholic Church reflects on the mystery of Christ. As He went in to ...read more

This evening, Pope Benedict XVI said farewell to Cuba at José Martí International Airport, Havana, Cuba as he concluded his 6 day apostolic visit to Mexico and Cuba. Find the full text of the Holy Father’s farewell address below. I thank God for allowing me to visit this beautiful Isle which left so deep a mark ...read more

Memorable quotes from Day 3 of Pope Benedict’s apostolic voyage to Cuba. “The truth is a desire of the human person, the search for which always supposes the exercise of authentic freedom. Many, however, prefer shortcuts, trying to avoid this task. Some, like Pontius Pilate, ironically question the possibility of even knowing what truth is ...read more

Today Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Holy Mass at “Plaza de la Revolución” in Havana, Cuba to commemorate the Jubilee Year devoted to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre. Please find the full text of his homily below. Dear Brothers and Sisters, “Blessed are you, Lord God…, and blessed is your holy and glorious name” ...read more

Earlier today in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Shrine of the “Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre”. At the shrine he made the following address. Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have come as a pilgrim to the house of the blessed statue of Our Lady of Charity, la Mambisa as you ...read more

14 years after Bl. John Paul II’s trip to Cuba, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass tonight on Cuban soil to commemorate the 400 year anniversary of the discovery of the image of the “Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre”. Below find a clip of the Holy Father’s homily. Please find the full text of his ...read more

On a recent episode of Catholic Focus, we tackled the issue of prostitution and the ongoing legal challenge to Ontario’s laws related to the sex trade. Today, a Court of Appeal reaffirmed parts of Justice Susan Himel’s controversial 2010 ruling that struck down three of those laws. In summary, the court agreed with Justice Himel ...read more