On April 19, 2005 when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope, the popular consensus was that this would be a papacy of continuity; he would ensure that his predecessor’s line of leadership and teaching would be safeguarded. What most people didn’t take into consideration was that Cardinal Ratzinger is a very different personality than Cardinal ...read more

Monday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York initiated a National Prayer Campaign for Life in the United States. The initiative is co-sponsored by the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus. The announcement came as part of a memorial Mass for John Cardinal O’Connor, a former ...read more

So far we’ve had a brief look at Sacraments (Parts 1, 2, & 3) in general and more specifically at Baptism. Let’s continue with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is the Sacrament that we all called “Confession.” It is sometimes referred to as the Sacrament of “Penance,” as well. Remember that all Sacraments make Christ ...read more

The Gospel for this Sunday was was John 13:31-33a, 34-35: When Judas had left them, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." ...read more

In the mid-1980s, Cardinal John O’Connor visited the Dachau concentration camp. Overwhelmed by the horrors that occurred there, he vowed to do all he could to protect and promote the sacredness of human life. This led him to be a champion of life, in word and action; including the establishment of the Sisters of Life. ...read more

The following blog comes from Brian Caulfield.  Brian is a communications specialist for the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus and is the editor of Fathers for Good. What image do you have of St. Joseph? Maybe you see a middle-aged man, staff in hand, leaning protectively over the manger, a bit in the ...read more

It’s a mysterious and intriguing relic widely believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. It has fascinated Christians for centuries and created controversy and debate among scientists and scholars alike in their attempts to prove and disprove its authenticity. Fact or fiction, the Holy Shroud of Turin, is a historical and scientific phenomenon. ...read more

I think that we can all say with certainty that the recent defeat of Bill C-384 is a great victory for Canadians. I say “Canadians” because even though there may be some who think euthanasia is necessary (even if a necessary evil), there’s no doubt that as long as we live in a world where ...read more

Last week Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the fifth year of his pontificate. What does the future hold? Catholic News Service’s Carol Glatz and John Thavis look ahead in this week’s Vatican Report. To download Flash Player please click here ...read more

Monday, April 26th, I was dispatched to Turin, Italy to do some preview work for our coverage of Holy Father’s upcoming trip, and to write an article or two for Catholic News Service. Let’s skip the part about missing the train by two seconds, and fast forward to when I actually got to Turin. It ...read more