VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Every family needs a father -- a father who shares in his family's joy and pain, hands down wisdom to his children and offers them firm guidance and love, Pope Francis said. Being a father is not easy since it takes lots of patience and grace, he said. "But what consolation, w...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A pivotal moment in the modern history of the Catholic Church came to life on screen with a new documentary about the Second Vatican Council. With archival footage and exclusive interviews with prelates who attended the council sessions between its opening in 1962 and closing...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When the Supreme Court weighs in on the constitutionality of the lethal- injection executions in Oklahoma this year, its ruling will not likely be a tipping point in eliminating capital punishment in the U.S., but some experts say it could be the beginning of the end of this pra...
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Q. So far as I know, the other Christian religions do not provide for a purgatory -- only the Catholic Church -- and I'm wondering where purgatory is mentioned either in the Bible or in Christ's teachings. (I would like to be able to defend my faith with some clear references.) (Chesapeake, Virgini...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When their lives are all work and no play, men turn their children into "orphans" who lack a father to guide them, show them love and teach them values, Pope Francis said. "They are orphans in a family because their fathers are often absent, also physically, from home, but abo...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Scientific advancements in imaging technology, genetics and nano research have allowed museums to make new and surprising discoveries about the tightly wrapped mysteries of ancient mummies. The Vatican Museums also have been employing the latest state-of-the-art laboratory too...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The 42nd annual March for Life and rally in Washington is twice as old as its crowd of predominantly college and high school age students. And as each year's turnout seems younger, so do the day's tools. Participants at the Jan. 22 event not only met up by texting or calling eac...
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  VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Families who have lots of children do not cause poverty, Pope Francis said. The main culprit is "an economic system that has removed the human person from its focus and has placed the god of money" as its priority instead, he said Jan. 21. The pope dedicated his general...
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Q. I have just watched Mario Cuomo's funeral on television and I noticed that his son Andrew, the current governor, gave a 40-minute eulogy. I was wondering what the Catholic guidelines are with regard to eulogies at funeral Masses. (Albany, New York)  A. Andrew Cuomo's eulogy at his father's...
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  MANILA, Philippines (CNS) -- Young people drew inspiration from a Jan. 18 encounter with Pope Francis at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. The event occurred during the Holy Father’s weeklong trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines, which concluded Jan. 19. During his visit to Sri...
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