Thursday of the Third Week of Advent
Reading 1 Sg 2:8-14 Hark! my lover–here he comesspringing across the mountains,leaping across the hills.My lover is like a gazelleor a young stag.Here he stands behind our wall,gazing through the windows,peering through the lattices.My lover speaks; he says to me,"Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,and come!"For see, the winter is past,the rains are over and gone.The flowers appear
Advent Prayer #2: Prayer of the Day for Friday, December 22, 2023
O shepherd of Israel, hearken, O guide of the flock of Joseph! Rouse your power, and come to save us. O Lord of hosts, restore us, if your face shine upon us, then we shall be safe. O Lord of hosts, how long will you burn with anger while your people pray? You have fed them with the bread of
Bishops around the world are divided over Vatican’s same-sex blessing declaration
null / Credit: lunamarina/Shutterstock Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 20, 2023 / 18:10 pm (CNA). Catholic bishops around the world are deeply divided on a Vatican declaration that permits nonliturgical blessings of homosexual couples: some bishops are welcoming the news, some are approaching it with caution, while others are outright refusing to implement it.In some countries, including Austria, Germany, and France, many Church
Jimmy Lai unlikely to receive a fair trial from Hong Kong judges, lawyer says
Jonathan Price, a member of Jimmy Lai's international legal team, appears on “EWTN News Nightly” with host Tracy Sabol on Dec. 19, 2023. / Credit: EWTN News Nightly CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2023 / 11:55 am (CNA). A lawyer representing embattled Catholic democracy activist Jimmy Lai said the Hong Konger is unlikely to receive a fair trial in the legal
Dissenting priests in Syro-Malabar Church protest Pope Francis’ Christmas deadline
A liturgy at St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, Arakuzha, India. / Achayan via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Bangalore, India, Dec 20, 2023 / 17:50 pm (CNA). Tensions are rising within the Syro-Malabar Church in the Indian state of Kerala as the Vatican’s Dec. 25 deadline for priests to implement a “universal” liturgy or face possible excommunication fast approaches. Ahead of
CBCP endorses Vatican document allowing pastoral blessings for same-sex couples
By Felipe F. Salvosa II December 20, 2023 Manila, Philippines The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has released an advisory endorsing the Vatican document allowing pastoral blessings for couples in same-sex relationships and other “irregular situations.” In an advisory on Wednesday, Dec. 20, Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, CBCP president, said the declaration of the Vatican’s doctrinal office