BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
Pope Francis spontaneously addresses Religious in Sarajevo: “A man and a woman who consecrate their lives to the Lord, but don’t know how to forgive, are worth nothing.” On Saturday June 6, Pope Francis was set to deliver a speech during a meeting in Sarajevo with men and women religious. But after listening to first ...read more
Pope Francis arrives in Sarajevo: “Heal the wounds of the past and look to the future with hope” Pope Francis arrived shortly after 9 a.m. in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the destination of his eighth apostolic trip. The central theme of the Holy See’s concern for Bosnia-Herzegovina – visited twice by St. John Paul ...read more
False promises of a better future is the way traffickers usually bait and enslave their victims. Most of the time their targets are the poor or marginalized; especially girls who lack access to education and basic services. But the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Nigeria are doing everything they can to put an end ...read more
On the evening of June 3, 1963, as Mass was being celebrated in the plaza below his window, Pope John XXIII quietly passed away. He had been suffering from stomach cancer for some time, although his illness had only been revealed to the public in March of that same year. Still, he faced that final ...read more
I am particularly curious about Pope Francis’ next trip to Sarajevo, which he will embark on in a few hours. I’m interested in the arrival of the pontiff to a place that is so different and seeped in history and drama, a city stained with pain. It caused the Balkan war in the 90’s. Just ...read more
Recently, I watched a movie called Left Behind. It is based on a novel Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth’s Last Days. I did not read the book, but accidentally, I watched the movie. The movie is about some people who suddenly disappear completely without any warning. The whole world is scared and shocked. Some of ...read more
In preparation for Pope Francis’ new ecological encyclical set to come out June 18, 2015, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, led by Bishop Donald Bolen, have released a series of videos and study guides on how Catholics are leading and participating in a new commitment to respect and protect. The series is based on a recent ...read more
When we talk about a development in church tradition or teaching, we are talking about a phenomenon that has taken place within Christianity from the very beginning. Even the varying articulations of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus that we find in the four Gospels represent a development as such: the written narratives were ...read more
Today on Perspectives, Pope Francis’ weekly General Audience, Cardinal Parolin headed to the United Arab Emirates and the studies show rapid growth of the Church in Africa. ...read more
Salt + Light Catholic Media Foundation is proud to introduce the newest addition to our multimedia and multi-langugage ministry – Sale e Luce,  an Italian-language micro-site. The content available on Sale e Luce will include Italian-language videos, productions, interviews and an Italian blog, featuring the latest news from the Vatican and around the world. You will also be ...read more