A few hours after the explosion Pakistan’s Catholic bishops issued a statement condemning the murders which took place at All Saints Anglican Church this week (22nd September).In the statement Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi, president of Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said: “The attacking of innocent men, women and children while praying in the church is […]
“The true protagonist of history is the beggar: Christ who begs for man’s heart, and man’s heart that begs for Christ.” – Fr. Luigi Giussani, founder of Communion & Liberation. On Catholic Lane we are running two articles on the topic of charity with the aim of provoking the kind of conversation about this very important […]
Summer is over and fall is here. One of the rites of fall: the county fair. I’ve always been ambivalent about the fair. I enjoy it, but I’m always struck by (i) how expensive it is, and (ii) how many people who apparently can’t afford basic things (like shampoo and dental care) are out there. […]
(“The mystery of poverty is that by sharing in it, making ourselves poor in giving to others, we increase our knowledge and belief in love.” –Dorothy Day) Most of the fine china had been cleared from the white linen-clad dining table. The delicate silver was soaking in a hot soda bath, and the candles had […]
A Syrian prelate, ordained a bishop only last month, has spoken of his dismay at the country’s mass exodus of Christians, but he is convinced that the future of one of the world’s oldest Church communities is assured. Melkite Greek Catholic Bishop Nicolas Antiba of Bosra and Hauran described how his faithful in southern Syria […]
One of the constant themes of Pope Francis’ pontificate is his emphasis on reaching out to the poor and the marginalized. Those who are “least” in this world are dear to the Holy Father’s heart and he uses every opportunity to exhort believers to go out from beyond the four walls of our churches and […]
“Running for Their Lives” (Columbia Magazine, December 2012), chronicles the founding and purpose of LIFE Runners, the largest international running group dedicated to Pro-Life causes. The founders of the group are both members of the Knights of Columbus and Lt. Colonels in the United States Air Force. They began praying together as they were training […]
In 2003 my beautiful daughter Chloe was born with a diagnosis of Down syndrome, and I must admit my family was filled with fear, anxiety and uncertainty about Chloe’s future. At the time I was in my 20th year as a Police Officer, and I had no knowledge of supports for children like Chloe. When […]
There’s a dangerous tendency in America today to view disabilities of various kinds as insuperable barriers to productive and loving service. There is often an implicit, and sometimes explicit, disrespect of a basic feature of human dignity in the treatment of those with disabilities as merely passive recipients of government aid, the objects of public […]
When it comes to the current peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians the Jerusalem Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali feels torn between hope and skepticism. Talking to the international Catholic pastoral charity, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Shomali, who is responsible in the Latin Patriarchate for the Palestinian areas, said (last Friday): “My […]
“The Islamists are taking revenge on us Christians!” These words were the commentary of Coptic-Catholic Bishop of Assiut, Kyrillos William Samaan, with regard to the latest Islamist attacks on Christians and Christian institutions in Egypt while in conversation on Monday (August 12) with the international Catholic pastoral charity “Aid to the Church in Need” (ACN). […]
There is a fundamental—and well-nigh irreconcilable—conflict between authentic Catholic charity and government-funded “humanitarian” programs. So say many of the bishops of the developing world. They should know, since they are on the receiving end of both. You didn’t read about it in the press, but from November 19-22, 2012, dozens of African bishops and African […]
In his sermon last Sunday, 21 July in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Bangui, the Archbishop of Bangui, Dieudonné Nzapalainga had clear words to say. “I can’t remain silent while the sons of this country are the victims of the worst kind of barbarism. I can’t remain silent while Central Africans are being tortured […]
In my public policy work on behalf of Kentucky’s Catholic bishops, I often have the opportunity to speak and write about the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Discussion of the Church’s social doctrine, at least when it occurs before a large audience, almost inevitably gives rise to fierce opposition. This opposition can come from people […]
When I was 19 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound of my baby revealed markers for a condition called trisomy 18. We were offered amniocentesis, which we refused because we didn’t want to risk hurting our baby. We were told we would have more choices if we knew for sure. We said we would never abort our […]
For the past several weeks the nation has been focused and absorbed with the George Zimmerman trial. This trial ended on 7/13/13 when a “Not Guilty” verdict was rendered by the jury after much evidence and testimony was presented in the courtroom. Another trial was also occurring this past week involving an unborn child who […]
Religious representatives from Egypt speaking to the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expressed the hope for a positive development in the crisis-ridden country following the fall from power of the Muslim Brother Mohamed Mursi. The Coptic-Catholic Bishop of Asyut in Upper Egypt, Kyrillos William, told ACN on Tuesday, July […]
UNICEF says that nations are bound by international law to recognize the right of children to sexually-related information and services without parental knowledge. UNICEF’s latest annual report revealed that it interprets two UN human rights treaties–on disabilities and children’s rights–to include a child’s right “to confidential sexual and reproductive health information and services during adolescence […]
A representative of international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has given a first-hand account of last weekend’s mass protest in Egypt in which at least three people died in a drive-by shooting near Assiut’s Coptic Catholic Cathedral. Passing on appeals for prayers for peace from two senior clerics, ACN’s Neville […]
On June 19, 2013 the State Department released its annual report, “Trafficking in Persons Report.” China received an automatic downgrade to the lowest ranking, Tier 3. The State Department acknowledged the one-child policy as the “key source of demand” for sex-trafficking within the country, but remained silent on revoking the policy in its recommendations for […]
“Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of us Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs?” – Benjamin Franklin, 1751 “Immigration is about more than immigration. It is about renewing the soul of America.” – +Jose […]
A local Catholic leader has taken a critical view of the progress of the reform process in Myanmar, noting some improvements amid ongoing problems. The Archbishop of Rangoon, Charles Bo, made his comments at an event organized by international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). According to the archbishop, “The democratic […]
A graphic account of the deepening human suffering and violence in Syria has come from a priest ministering to people in one of the areas worst affected by the conflict. In a report describing the devastated city of Homs, the priest details his desperate struggle to provide basic food, shelter and medicine to more than […]
Burma Imposes a Two-Child Policy on the Rohingya Burma, a secluded country of almost 60 million people, sits in the corner of Southeast Asia between India and China. Also known as Myanmar, Burma currently has a fertility rate of 2.21 children and, unique for its part of the world, does not suffer from sex-selection. Buddhists […]
