WASHINGTON – The U.S. government should emulate the Catholic Church and look for a dramatic way to improve relations with Cuba, said a U.S. lawmaker after returning from a fact-finding trip to the Caribbean island. Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., cited the 1998 trip to Cuba by Pope John Paul II and said it had a...Read More
DUBLIN – In the wake of a series of clerical child abuse scandals, the country’s newest prelate, Bishop Liam S. MacDaid of Clogher, called on the people of his diocese to join him in “a repentant return to the well of salvation.”Read More
Stopping short of a merger, St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore and St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson are joining forces in a new strategic alliance hospital leaders say will improve quality and increase access to medical care in the Baltimore area and beyond. The partnership, called “Mission Health Partners,” will initially be made up of...Read More
VATICAN CITY – Climbing the Holy Stairs on one’s knees, getting a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI, visiting dark catacombs and downing green Sambuca and mounds of pasta carbonara well past midnight.Read More
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- An Italian cardinal and a Muslim scholar from India tried to answer a question that has plagued humanity throughout history: "Why are we here?" Cardinal Angelo Scola, the patriarch of Venice known for his lengthy texts and theological passion, shared Christian thinking on creation, humanity, freedom and finite existence. Muzammil Siddiqi, former...Read More
It is not surprising that the local and national media has been touting the arrival of Nancy Pelosi to her powerful position as majority speaker in the House of Representatives. However, it is confusing to witness the praise and honor which has been enthusiastically lavished upon the new speaker of the house by her former...Read More
VATICAN CITY – Like long-lost twins, two halves of an artistic masterpiece conceived by the Renaissance master Raphael will be reunited for the first time.Read More
Idalia Peraza should not have lived past the age of 20. Over the last 36 years Ms. Peraza, a developmentally disabled woman from Honduras, has been suffering from a common congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. When Ms. Peraza was born she had a hole in her heart causing her to literally turn blue...Read More
I went to the St. Louis Clarksville Fair recently. Despite wearing a white hat, sunglasses, shorts and ‘sneakers’, I was still recognized by Mary Helfrich! How come Lois Lane never recognized Superman as Clark Kent? A pair of glasses made that much difference?Read More
When Muriel Johnson started her Why Catholic? group at St. Cecilia, Baltimore, she had 12 people attending. The program quickly expanded, and eventually Mrs. Johnson ran out of materials for all of the people gathering on Sunday mornings before church. She said her group used the African American and Archdiocesan versions of Why Catholic? and...Read More
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - While human rights activists express fears that xenophobic attacks will erupt in South Africa after the soccer World Cup, church leaders are taking action to see that this does not happen.Read More