VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Children are never a "mistake" and no sacrifice is too great for an adult to make so that children can feel their worth, Pope Francis said. During his weekly general audience in a chilly, but sunny St. Peter's Square April 8, the pope continued his series of talks about the fa...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- It started with hallucinogenic peyote and a couple of guys in Oregon who were fired after they used it in a religious ritual. Over the course of 25 years, the U.S. debate over religious rights moved from there to the current social and political uproar about Indiana's Religious...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- For a "good Easter," Christians must do more than simply recall the passion of Jesus during Holy Week; they must "enter into the mystery" of the Easter Triduum and make Jesus' feelings and attitudes their own, Pope Francis said. During his general audience April 1, he also rec...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church supports the efforts of scientists to study the causes and effects of climate change and insists governments and businesses must get serious about specific commitments for protecting the environment. But Pope Francis, like his predecessors, does not pretend...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- At a time usually dedicated to last-minute Metro dashes, black coffee and the ever-ubiquitous doughnut table, a group of people gather for fellowship in the nation's capital. Spirits open and hearts full, they clasp hands, bow heads and pray together before starting their workda...
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Q. Our priest now has three parishes to take care of, so he is kept very busy. Can he be given permission to have a rite three penance service with absolution, perhaps once or twice a year? This would free up some time for him, and I also feel that it would help to bring some people back to church....
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) -- No matter how weary, wounded or sinful a family has become, the church will always do everything to try to help family members heal, convert and reconcile with the Lord, Pope Francis said. The pope called on everyone to pray each day for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the fam...
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Q. My Catholic nephew has been going with a girl for 12 years; recently they sold their individual homes and moved into a new house together. She has wanted to get married for some time, but he is not interested in marriage. They live in the northern United States, while my wife and I live in the S...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Having so much world-famous art housed in Rome's churches and chapels has risked turning the city's sacred spaces into sightseer circuses. A hushed prayerful atmosphere for the faithful is often broken by clicking cameras and tourists exchanging guidebook details. But one Rome...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholic advocates are pressing Congress to make the needs of poor and vulnerable people a priority as legislators hammer out a federal spending plan for 2016. The advocates told Catholic News Service they want to prevent trillions of dollars in social services spending from dis...
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