BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
For many, the Venerable John Paul II is already a saint.  Officially though, there are a few more stages before we can proclaim him “Saint John Paul II.”  On this week’s Catholic News Service Vatican Report, Carol Glatz and John Thavis examine John Paul II’s road to sainthood. To download Flash Player please click here ...read more
The Pope’s prayer intention for March coincides with yesterday’s throne speech and today’s unveiling of the federal budget. The economy of this past year proved to be a source of confusion and distress around the globe, specifically amongst us Canadians as we saw this year’s federal deficit fall to $56-billion and job losses soar to ...read more
In just three weeks, the universal church will be celebrating Palm Sunday, going into Holy Week. The weekend of Palm Sunday, March 27/28, is also the time different dioceses celebrate their own World Youth Day. Isabel Correa, the Director of Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese of Montreal, shares with us how the youth of Montreal ...read more
At some point in our lives we’ve all heard the saying, “We make plans and God laughs.” God has laughed at me a few times. He’s still laughing at me and my plans. As I’ve mentioned in some of my previous blogs, I grew up in Vancouver and lived in Rome for several years. For ...read more
I could hear the roar of the crowd even before I stepped out of my apartment building. The celebration for Canada’s final gold medal was in full swing on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. I could hardly contain my own excitement as I rushed towards Dundas Square, camera in hand, to join the revelry that ...read more
They seem at odds, don’t they? Christianity that encourages us to foster virtue – everything that’s nice and sweet, gentle and kind; versus Olympic ambition (supplemented by the Own the Podium program) that encourages our athletes to go for gold, to win, win, win! Own the Podium has been criticized as un-Canadian, as rude, as ...read more
Pope Benedict XVI offered prayers at his Sunday Angelus Address yesterday for Chile. A 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the South American nation on Saturday.  At least 700 have been killed, half-a-million homes destroyed, and 1.5 million people affected. “My thought goes out to Chile and the populations affected by the earthquake, which caused numerous losses ...read more
Since Perspectives’ debut last month, a painstaking amount of thought has gone into each Question of the Week. In fact, as soon as we are finished filming the Friday show, we conduct an office-wide poll on which question should be featured on the next week’s episode. I am always surprised by how much discussion is ...read more
The Pope has been participating in spiritual exercises with the Roman Curia this week.  Catholic News Service’s Cindy Wooden and John Thavis report on the Holy Father’s annual Lenten retreat. To download Flash Player please click here ...read more
If you have this question, then the Ottawa event on Monday, March 8th, may be just the thing for you.  Cardinal William Joseph Levada will be speaking at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica on Sussex Drive in Ottawa.  True to his role as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, his talk is ...read more