Since 2010 the Vatican’s Institute for Religious Works, commonly referred to as the Vatican Bank, has faced questions about its transparency and compliance with international banking laws. Since then many concrete changes have been made, including the appointment of a new bank director, a new board of international experts to oversee the bank, and the ...read more

The following statement was released by the CCCB today. On May 4, 2011, then Bishop Raymond Lahey entered a plea of guilty in civil court to the possession of child pornography. He was sentenced in accordance with civil law on January 4, 2012. It remained for the Holy See to follow the canonical procedures in ...read more

In his Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sarcramentum Caritatis (or Sacrament of Charity), Pope Benedict XVI writes the following on the relationship between the Eucharist and the Church: Since the Eucharist makes present Christ’s redeeming sacrifice, we must start by acknowledging that “there is a causal influence of the Eucharist at the Church’s very origins.” The Eucharist ...read more

To a Portuguese boy, speaking about Our Lady of Fatima is essentially speaking about someone who is part of his daily life. This is the case with me. Fatima itself has a special meaning for me and where ever I go I try to explain what that meaning is to me and all Portuguese. Between ...read more

Catholic News Service recently interviewed 97 year old Archbishop Loris Capovilla. Archbishop Capovilla was prelate of the sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto, Italy for many years. Before that however, he was the personal secretary to Pope John XXIII. He had a privileged vantage point for Vatican II, he saw the circumstances that lead ...read more

Lujan, Argentina, 1630 – A devoutly Catholic farmer from Portugal arrives in the northern Argentine town of Sumampa, in the province of Santiago del Estero. To his great dismay his faith is not well known or shared in his new hometown.  In order to feel more at home he takes it upon himself to build ...read more

Earlier today, the Permanent Council for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a pastoral letter on freedom of conscience and religion. Issued by the CCCB’s Permanent Council, the letter expresses concern about an “aggressive relativism” in Canada that seeks to relegate religion to the private sphere. More than that, the Permanent Council explains why ...read more

Tepeyac, Mexico, 9 December 1531. A young woman appears to an indigenous peasant named Juan Diego. The woman, initially identified by Juan Diego as a teenaged Aztec princess, asks Juan Diego in his native language to have a shrine built in her name– she introduces herself as the Blessed Virgin Mary– on the site where ...read more

Today is Canada Health Day, and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Saint Elizabeth Health Care to Canadian society. Mary Rose Bacani interviews Shirlee Sharkey (President & CEO of Saint Elizabeth Health Care), Michael Decter (Chair), and Nancy Lefebre (Senior Vice-President of Knowledge and Practice) on Saint Elizabeth Health ...read more

Thousands of pro-life supporters from across Canada gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa yesterday for the 2012 National March for Life. Khoi Vu and I had the great privilege in taking part in this year’s events. Cloudy skies and a constant threat of rain did not deter the young, old, man and woman from coming ...read more