At 10:30 am on the 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Pope Francis celebrated mass in St. Peter’s Square and presided over the rite of canonization of Blesseds Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad (1870-1957) and Stanislaus Papczyński (1631-1701). Below you will find the homily given by Pope Francis following the Gospel of the day. Also included are two brief ...read more

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano Join us in prayer for the intentions entrusted to us by Pope Francis. For June 2016, we join the Holy Father in praying for: Human Solidarity – That the aged, marginalized, and those who have no one may find–even within the huge cities of the world–opportunities for encounter and solidarity.  Seminarians and Novices –That seminarians and ...read more

CNS photo/Catholic Press Photo This week marks 53 years since St. Pope John XXIII died at the Vatican at age of 81. For most people, the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of the saintly pope’s name is the Second Vatican Council. Yet his pontificate and his priestly ministry left its mark on the ...read more

On Friday 3 June, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass with priests in St Peter’s Square as part of a special Jubilee of Mercy for Priests. Please find below the prepared text for the Holy Father’s Homily: This celebration of the Jubilee for Priests on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us all to ...read more

On the occasion of the Jubilee of priests and seminarians (June 1-3, 2016), Pope Francis will preach today three reflections during the retreat for priests and seminarians gathered in the Papal Basilicas in Rome. The theme of the retreat is “the Good Shepherd: the priest as a minister of mercy and compassion, close to his ...read more

On the occasion of the Jubilee of priests and seminarians (June 1-3, 2016), Pope Francis will preach today three reflections during the retreat for priests and seminarians gathered in the Papal Basilicas in Rome. The theme of the retreat is “the Good Shepherd: the priest as a minister of mercy and compassion, close to his ...read more

On the occasion of the Jubilee of priests and seminarians (June 1-3, 2016), Pope Francis will preach today three reflections during the retreat for priests and seminarians gathered in the Papal Basilicas in Rome. The theme of the retreat is “the Good Shepherd: the priest as a minister of mercy and compassion, close to his ...read more

In 2007, almost 60 years after the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The declaration recognizes Indigenous people’s basic human rights, as well as rights to self-determination, language, equality and land, among others. There were four votes against: Australia, New Zealand, the United States ...read more

Lisa Daniels lives with extreme, debilitating, chronic pain. She suffers greatly. Her suffering is irremediable. There is no cure. Many people who support the idea of medically assisted dying do so on the basis that some people, like Lisa, live with unbearable, intolerable pain. Can all pain be managed? How are we to respond to ...read more

(CNS photo/Paul Haring) On Sunday, May 29, 2016, Pope Francis celebrated a Jubilee Mass for Deacons. Below you will find the full text of his homily: “A servant of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:10). We have listened to these words that the Apostle Paul, writing to the Galatians, uses to describe himself. At the beginning of his ...read more