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Most Important Stories of the Last 30 Days
Synod issues clarion call to the New Evangelization CWN - October 26
New encyclical, on faith, to appear early next year CWN - November 12
Pope Benedict names 6 new cardinals in surprise announcement CWN - October 24
Top Commentary
Open season on Catholicism November 16
New Methods of Evangelization November 16
Evangelization Techniques and Opportunities November 16
The World without Marriage November 15
Two More Items from Catholic England November 14
Latest Headlines
Australia: pressure mounts to break confessional seal
CWN - November 16
Australian editorial writers have stepped up the pressure on Church leaders to discard the confessional seal in cases of sexual abuse.
Claiming that the seal may protect abusers—a proposition for...
Jerusalem Patriarch laments new violence, says 'comprehensive solution' needed
CWN - November 16
The Latin-rite Patriarch of Jerusalem has expressed his anguish over the latest outbreak of violence in Israel and Gaza, and said that the tensions in the region can only be resolved “a...
Pope releases message for World Youth Day 2013
CWN - November 16
The Vatican has released the message of Pope Benedict XVI for the 28th observance of World Youth Day (WYD), which will be held in July 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Inviting the young people of...
Obama administration official to lead prominent Catholic donors’ group
CWN - November 16
An Obama administration official who worked for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development for nearly a decade has been named the president of...
CCHD announces new national focus on causes of poverty, grant related to Hurricane Sandy
CWN - November 16
Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has announced that the...
African women sue government clinics for coerced sterilizations
CWN - November 16
A group of Kenyan women have filed suit against government health-care clinics in 5 different countries, charging that they were sterilized against their will.
The plaintiffs are all...
Report: MN bishop says pro-gay marriage teen can be confirmed when he publicly repudiates position
CWN - November 16
The parents of a teenage boy in the Diocese of Crookston (Minnesota) told the Fargo Forum that their parish priest has denied the Sacrament of Confirmation to their son, Lennon Cihak, because of his...
Ivory Coast leader visits Pope
CWN - November 16
Pope Benedict XVI met on November 16 with President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast.
Ouattara arrived at the Vatican under heavy security. He took power in Ivory Coast only after a bloody...
New apostolic nuncio wins admiration in Ireland
CWN - November 16
Although Ireland's relations with the Holy See have been severely tied in recent months, the new apostolic nuncio in Dublin has been well received by the country's political leaders, notes Michael...
Order of Malta’s medical work highlighted
CWN - November 16
As a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers takes place in Rome, Vatican Radio has highlighted the medical work of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta...
Doctor: acceptance of euthanasia heightens patients’ distrust of medical profession
CWN - November 16
Martin Cullen, an intensive care physician in Sydney, writes that the increasing acceptance of euthanasia has helped increase patients’ distrust of doctors.
“I never cease to marvel how deeply...
Vietnamese Catholic activists report mounting human-rights violations
CWN - November 15
Human-rights violations are on the rise in Vietnam, the National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Vietnamese Catholic Church said in a report to the country’s bishops.
The report by...
Vatican envoy calls for restraints on military weapons deemed to harmful to civilians
CWN - November 15
At a UN conference discussing restrictions on conventional weapons, the Vatican’s representative argued for new attention to explosive weapons that cause heavy civilian casualties.
Archbishop...
Boston archdiocese to reorganize parishes in 2nd retrenchment
CWN - November 15
Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley has approved a sweeping reorganization of that will leave the archdiocese with 135 “collaboratives” in place of the current 288 parishes.
The new “collaboratives”...
Catholic university faculty rebukes president for blocking invitation to dissident theologian
CWN - November 15
Faculty members at the University of San Diego have approved a vote of no-confidence in the leadership of the Catholic institution’s president, Dr. Mary Lyons, after Lyons rescinded a fellowship...
'Vegetative' patient gives clear responses, doctor reports
CWN - November 15
A British man who was said to be in a “vegetative state” after a traumatic accident 12 years ago has shown clear evidence of understanding, a researcher has announced.
The patient, Scott Routley,...
New Evangelization should be ecumenical effort, Pope says
CWN - November 15
Ecumenical work is a key component of the “new evangelization,” Pope Benedict XVI told the Pontifical Council on Christian Unity in a November 15 address.
All Christians should be concerned by...
Rush to judgment in Irish miscarriage tragedy
CWN - November 15
Irish columnist David Quinn points out that very little is known about the medical details surrounding the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar, who died of septicemia after complications in...
Italian births drop, with larger proportion out-of-wedlock
CWN - November 15
The average age of Italy’s population is rising steadily, as the number of new births continues to drop.
New national statistics showed that the total number of births was 546,607 in 2011) the...
Pro-life Catholic survives hearings on nomination as EU health minister
CWN - November 15
Despite angry protests from abortion advocates, a pro-life Catholic political leader has passed through hearings on his nomination to become the European Union’s commissioner for health and consumer...
Fordham to host talk by Peter Singer, infanticide apologist
CWN - November 15
New York's Fordham University will host Peter Singer, a philosopher notorious for his arguments to justify infanticide and euthanasia, at a conference entitled "Christians and Other Animals: Moving...
Missionaries of Africa highlight anti-slavery efforts
CWN - November 15
The Society of the Missionaries of Africa, sometimes known as the White Fathers, has begun a yearlong commemoration of the 125th anniversary of its founder’s campaign to end the slave trade....
Sistine Chapel concert features Roman, English choral traditions
CWN - November 15
The Sistine Chapel Choir and the Westminster Cathedral Choir performed at a concert at the Sistine Chapel on November 13. Numerous prelates attended the conference, which was sponsored by Secretary...
USCCB committees: cut deficit, but not at expense of anti-poverty programs
CWN - November 15
As the United States faces the possibility of “sequestration,” or automatic budget cuts scheduled to take effect in January, the chairmen of two committees of the United States Conference of...
Coptic pope threatens to withdraw representatives from assembly over Sharia provision
CWN - November 15
Pope Tawadros II, the new head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, is threatening to withdraw Coptic representatives from the Constituent Assembly, the 100-member committee entrusted with the task of...
Vatican official discusses challenges facing Catholic hospitals
CWN - November 15
At a press conference in Rome that preceded a three-day conference of healthcare workers, the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care discussed the challenges facing Catholic...
Australia: a campaign to break the confessional seal
CWN - November 14
Politicians, pundits, and even a few dissenting Catholic clerics are calling upon Catholic priests to break the confessional seal in sex-abuse cases.
Attorney general Nicola Roxon said that a federal commission investigating sexual abuse would take up the question of whether priests should be required to disclose information from sacramental confessions. Prime Minister Julia Gillard also said...
Woman's death sparks new Irish debate on abortion law
CWN - November 14
Ireland’s government is under renewed pressure to end the country’s ban on elective abortion, after a pregnant woman died after doctors apparently declined to perform an abortion.
Savita...
Pope's new book launch set for November 20
CWN - November 14
The Vatican has scheduled a press conference on November 20 to announce the publication of L'Infanzia di Gesu, the 3rd book of the trilogy by Pope Benedict XVI about the Jesus of Nazareth.
The...
Australian bishop: diocese may have had pedophile ring
CWN - November 14
An Australian bishop has said that a ring of pedophile priests may have been active in his diocese in the past.
Bishop William Wright of Maitland-Newcastle revealed that he and his staff had...
Pope Benedict reminds Italian Parliament of historic visit, important message from Bl. John Paul II
CWN - November 14
A visit by Pope John Paul II to the Italian parliament, which took place on November 14, 2002, was “a memorable page in the history of relations between Italy and the Holy See,” Pope Benedict XVI...
Vatican congregation restructured to emphasize liturgical reform, sacred music and architecture
CWN - November 14
The Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship has been restructured, allowing for greater attention to liturgical reform, to church architecture, and especially to sacred music.
In an analysis of...
Syrian priest reports 'brutality without precedent'
CWN - November 14
The civil war in Syria has created “an apocalyptic situation” for the country’s people, a Catholic priest in Aleppo says.
The priest—who reported anonymously in an email message to Italy’s ANSA...
Reasons for post-election optimism
CWN - November 14
Writing for the National Catholic Register, Tom Nash sees reasons for Catholics to remain optimistic about America's political future despite last week's election results.
Nash expresses...
Cardinal Dolan: no capitulation on HHS mandate
CWN - November 14
Cardinal Timothy Dolan has reiterated that the Catholic Church will not consent to the contraceptive mandate imposed by the Obama administration.
Speaking in his capacity as president of the US...
Court decision due for Rimsha Masih in Pakistani blasphemy trial
CWN - November 14