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Patriarchs call for liberation from Islamic State of Iraqi lands where Christians lived
BEIRUT – Syriac patriarchs, marking the two-year anniversary since the Islamic State group expelled Christians from a large part of Iraq, denounced "the ethno-religious genocide" of their people and called for the liberation of those areas.
Pope invites Christians to pray for children in Syria
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis called on Catholics and Orthodox Christians to pray for children in Syria who are suffering because of the ongoing conflict in the country.
In Lebanon, Muslims and Christians visit Marian shrine at Harissa
HARISSA, Lebanon – High on a summit overlooking the Mediterranean, Our Lady of Lebanon stands majestically with her arms outstretched, welcoming her children.
Published in Faith
Christians live God's love with joy, astonishment
No Christian can exist without joy: that's what Pope Francis said in his Homily at Mass Monday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse. The Pope stressed that even through life's difficulties, the Christian knows he can trust in Jesus and find hope. The Pope also reminded the faithful they should not allow riches to dominate their lives because they ultimately lead to sadness.
Published in Reflections
Walking in the Spirit, we feel the divine breath
Pentecost Sunday (Year C) May 15 (Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-14; John 20:19-23)
Humans have always dreamed of being endowed with powers that will lift them far beyond ordinary human limitations. Mythology — both ancient and modern — is often an expression of this wish. The immense popularity of the superhero genre of film is a fine example.
Published in Fr. Scott Lewis
An ocean of tears calls for mercy, compassion, Pope says
VATICAN CITY – The tears shed by men, women and children around the world each day cry out for mercy, compassion and consolation, Pope Francis said during a special Year of Mercy prayer service for those who weep.
Catholic vote not as monolithic as it once was, but still important
WASHINGTON – Is there a Catholic vote in the United States? Well, yes. Kind of. Voting patterns show Catholics vote much like the rest of America, with minor swings one way or the other, depending on the candidate and the state.
Catholic education can never be neutral
Pope Francis, speaking to Italian school teachers and parents, said, "Education cannot be neutral. It is either positive or negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it enables a person to grow or it lessens, even corrupts him. The mission of the school is to develop a sense of truth of what is good and beautiful."
Published in Catholic Education
Pope prays for Orthodox, Catholic Christians kidnapped in Syria
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis led Christians in praying for Catholic and Orthodox clergy and religious kidnapped in Syria and around the world.
Dominican nuns keep hope alive among displaced in northern Iraq
IRBIL, Iraq – When the Islamic State group rolled across Iraq's Ninevah Plain in 2014, tens of thousands of Christians fled for their lives to Kurdish-controlled areas of the country. They still wait in limbo in crowded camps, facing an undefined future. The only certainty they enjoy is knowing that whatever happens to them, a group of Dominican nuns will be at their side.
Head of Knights urges action by U.S. after Kerry's genocide declaration
WASHINGTON – If Christians and other religious minorities disappear in Iraq and Syria, "pluralism and stability leave with them," the head of the Knights of Columbus told a U.S. congressional commission April 19.
Be docile to the Holy Spirit
One must be docile to the Holy Spirit, said Pope Francis Thursday at Mass in his residence of Casa Santa Marta, and one must not resist Him. Pope Francis warns against those who resist the Spirit with "so-called fidelity to the law" and invites the faithful to pray for the grace of the docility to the Spirit.
Syrian Christian families who fled to Europe begin to return home
VATICAN CITY – Hundreds of Christian families are returning to Sadad, Syria, more than two years after their city was overrun by terrorists, a local official said.
Canada asked to recognize genocide of Christians
OTTAWA - The Canadian government should join the European Union in labelling the persecution of Christians by Islamic State jihadists a genocide, said Aid to the Church in Need.
Christmas shows Christians our Jewishness
Just in time for Christmas, the Vatican is reminding the world just how Jewish the Christian religion really is.
Published in Christmas