VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every year, for more than three decades, the Vatican tribunal dealing with matters of conscience has offered a course to help priests in their “ministry of mercy” as confessors. The huge number of participants, from 500 to 800 ordained and soon-to-be ordained men, who attend the course sponsored by the Apostolic ...read more

In today’s catechesis, Pope Francis continues to teach on the theme of discernment. He invites us, following St. Augustine’s example, to read our own life histories, learn to recognize the presence of “toxic” elements in our lives, and then broaden our narrative and notice the “discreet ways in which God acts in our life.” Read ...read more

Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Day on Oct 23, 2022 was released in January 2022. In the message, the Holy Father mentions how World Mission Day offers us the opportunity to commemorate several important events in the Church’s life and mission. Pope Francis’ Message for World Mission Day 2022 “You shall be my witnesses” ...read more

If you’re in the Church, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore our missionary call. This something Pope Francis has continually talked about since his first year of papacy: go out to the peripheries; get out of the sacristies; go and make disciples of all nations. In a way, the ground was prepared by Pope ...read more

Whenever I see a rosary hanging on someone’s rear-view mirror, I automatically feel a kinship with the Catholic driver. However, a rosary is not a decoration. It is a powerful spiritual tool, and popes have been encouraging Catholics to pray the Rosary for years. Since October is the month of the Rosary, here are three ...read more

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (CNS) — As parish youth coordinator at St. Matthew’s in Surrey, Eleanor Wong sees firsthand the struggles that young people have with the church, so she’s welcoming a new pastoral letter from Canada’s bishops that tells young people they have unique contributions to make to the church and to the world. The ...read more

Blessed Carlo Acutis May 3, 1991 – October 12, 2006 Beatified: October 10, 2020 Feast Day: October 12 Millennial, computer programmer, gamer, and on the way to sainthood. Blessed Carlo Acutis reminds us that God can use anyone and anything to share His love, including a teenager who spent a lot of his time becoming ...read more

In today’s catechesis, Pope Francis reflects on discernment and the desire of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda to be healed. Read the full text below: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! In these catecheses on discernment we are reviewing the elements of discernment. After prayer, one element, and self-knowledge, another element, that is, ...read more

October 11, 2022 marks 60 years since the start of the Second Vatican Council. So what was Vatican II and why does it matter today? Vatican II was the biggest Church event in the 20th century, bringing together all the bishops of the Catholic Church – 2,625 of them! – with the pope and many ...read more

A little over a week ago, I arrived back from my pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt. I was tanned from the Egyptian sun, sleep-deprived and jet-lagged, but happy to be home.  The first week of the pilgrimage, my fellow pilgrims and I visited many sites and places including Capernaum, the House of Peter, Magdala, Tabgha, ...read more