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10/30/2020
With euthanasia in New Zealand, 'we are about to cross a Rubicon'

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CNS) -- A prominent adviser to New Zealand's bishops expressed dismay that voters approved euthanasia for terminally ill patients. "Many people will no doubt see the option of an assisted death as akin to adding another food choice to an already existing cafe menu when, in fact, the change represents a shift in the whole dining experience that will affect everything on the menu, as well as the service you get," said John Kleinsman, director of the Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics, the New Zealand Catholic bioethics center.
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10/30/2020
Corruption in the church must be stamped out continually, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Corruption is an "ancient evil" that continues to plague the Catholic Church in different ways, Pope Francis said. In an interview with the Italian news agency Adnkronos, published Oct. 30, the pope discussed his thoughts on several issues, including the nature of corruption given recent allegations of financial malfeasance involving the Vatican.
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10/30/2020
Several students at North American College test positive for COVID-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Students and faculty at Rome's Pontifical North American College are under quarantine after several students tested positive for COVID-19. "We are isolating the students who tested positive, quarantining ourselves on campus, and increasing our testing," Father David A. Schunk, vice rector for administration, said in an email to Catholic News Service Oct. 29.
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10/30/2020
Report: Cardinal Woelki would step down if implicated in abuse cover-ups

COLOGNE, Germany (CNS) -- Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki would resign from his office if the sexual abuse study he commissioned implicated him in any cover-ups, according to the Cologne Archdiocese.
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10/30/2020
Pope picks Italian-American diplomat, migrant minister, as new cardinal

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Italian-born Cardinal-designate Silvano Tomasi describes himself as "one of those 40 million Americans who were born outside the United States, but at the same time are part of the makeup of the country."
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10/29/2020
Irish archbishop hopeful about Masses after meeting with prime minister

DUBLIN (CNS) -- The head of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference said that after talks with the prime minister, he is hopeful the government will consider lifting a ban on public worship, put in place as a measure against COVID-19.
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10/29/2020
French bishops order 'death knell' after three killed in Nice basilica

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- French bishops ordered a "death knell" to ring from every church of their country Oct. 29 after three people were hacked to death in a basilica in the southern Mediterranean city of Nice.
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10/29/2020
General audience closes to public after positive case of COVID-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After someone attending Pope Francis' weekly general tested positive for COVID-19, the Vatican announced the audiences would return to being livestreamed without the presence of pilgrims and visitors.
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10/28/2020
Dutch cardinal: Euthanasia for children continues 'slippery slope'

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- Proposals to amend Dutch law to allow the euthanasia of children represent the latest descent down the "slippery slope" of the killing of patients by doctors, a cardinal said.
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10/28/2020
Catholic, Jewish leaders mark 55th anniversary of 'Nostra Aetate'

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The formal structures that sponsor Catholic-Jewish dialogue are important, but their decades of success have relied on strong personal friendships and mutual respect, both of which must continue to spread among all Catholics and Jews, officials involved in the dialogue said.
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10/28/2020
Pope to celebrate private Mass for All Souls at Vatican cemetery

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Due to restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19, Pope Francis will celebrate the feast of All Souls with a "strictly private" Mass at a Vatican cemetery. Unlike past years when the pope would mark the feast with an outdoor Mass at a cemetery in Rome, the Nov. 2 Mass will take place "without the participation of the faithful" at the Vatican's Teutonic Cemetery, the Vatican said in a statement released Oct. 28.
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10/28/2020
Pope advances causes of four 20th-century martyrs

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of five men and four women, including four 20th-century martyrs killed in Brazil, Turkey and Italy. The pope signed the decrees Oct. 27 during a meeting with Cardinal-designate Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes. The Vatican published the decrees Oct. 28.
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10/28/2020
Pope calls for Poland to protect life amid protests over abortion law

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As protests against a near-total ban on abortions gripped Poland, Pope Francis urged the people of the country to defend life. Addressing Polish pilgrims during his weekly general audience Oct. 28, the pope invoked the memory of St. John Paul II, who "always urged a privileged love for the least and the defenseless and for the protection of every human being, from conception to natural death."
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10/28/2020
Ask Jesus to pray for you when you can't, pope suggests

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- By asking to be baptized with other penitents in the Jordan River, Jesus placed himself among those who recognized themselves as sinners, Pope Francis said. Despite the protests of John the Baptist, Jesus insisted on being baptized as "an act of obedience to the will of the Father, an act of solidarity with our human condition," the pope said Oct. 28 during his weekly general audience.
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10/28/2020
Pope Francis names Archbishop Pizzaballa as Latin patriarch of Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa as the 10th Latin patriarch of Jerusalem since the restoration of the patriarchate in 1847. In an Oct. 24 announcement, the Apostolic Delegation of Jerusalem and Palestine said it welcomed the appointment, which came on the eve of the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Palestine and on the centenary of the consecration of Palestine to Mary.
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10/28/2020
Vatican court continues trial on alleged abuse at minor seminary

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At a criminal trial involving alleged sexual abuse at a minor seminary located in the Vatican, the Vatican City State criminal court accepted a motion to allow the alleged victim to seek damages from the seminary and the religious institution that runs it.
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10/27/2020
A divided Europe cannot stand; solidarity needed, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Europeans must not see their rich history simply as a fond memory of a time long gone, but they must look to it as a guide to overcoming divisions and challenges aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis said.
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10/26/2020
Transcript shows pope's distinction between gay marriage, civil unions

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Pope Francis said gay people have a right to be in a family and that gay couples needed some form of civil law to protect their rights, he was not saying that gay couples should have a right to adopt children.
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10/25/2020
UPDATE: Pope announces new cardinals, including U.S. Archbishop Gregory

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10/23/2020
Questions continue around film's use of pope's quote on civil unions

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While there is no doubt that Pope Francis said civil laws should protect the rights of gay couples, some mystery shrouds the context in which he said it and the way it is used in a new film.
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10/23/2020
Vatican extends time to obtain full indulgences for souls in purgatory

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Plenary or full indulgences traditionally obtained during the first week of November for the souls of the faithful in purgatory can now be gained throughout the entire month of November, the Vatican said.
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10/23/2020
Pope reconfirms Cardinal O'Malley to Council of Cardinals

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has reconfirmed Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley to serve for another term at his Council of Cardinals and named Italian Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, current secretary of the Council, to be the new prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes.
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10/22/2020
Vatican extends provisional agreement with China on naming bishops

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican and the Chinese government will extend an agreement signed in 2018 regarding the appointment of bishops. As the initial agreement expired Oct. 22, the two sides "have agreed to extend the experimental implementation phase of the provisional agreement for another two years," the Vatican said in a communique the same day.
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10/21/2020
Documentary and allegory: Director says star of 'Francesco' is humanity

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Although his film is called "Francesco," director Evgeny Afineevsky said the main character of his new documentary "is us, humanity," and Pope Francis simply is the one "trying to point us in the right direction."
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10/21/2020
UPDATE: Pope has history of defending marriage, but being open to some civil unions

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10/21/2020
French bishops join Muslim leaders in condemning beheading of teacher

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10/20/2020
Nigerian bishops back #EndSARS protests against police brutality

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- Several Nigerian bishops, including the head of the bishops' conference, have criticized police attacks that have left at least 10 protesters dead and hundreds injured. The bishops say the protests are symptomatic of ongoing corruption issues in the country.
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10/20/2020
Pope, religious leaders pray for peace, greater care for one another

ROME (CNS) -- The only way to end war and ensure humanity's survival is "through encounter and negotiation, setting aside our conflicts and pursuing reconciliation, moderating the language of politics and propaganda, and developing true paths of peace," Pope Francis said.
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10/20/2020
Christian beliefs lead to opposition to death penalty, patriarch says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Opposition to the death penalty is the "logical and moral consequence" of recognizing the dignity of all human life and of believing that each person deserves the possibility to repent of his or her sins and crimes, said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
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10/19/2020
Demonstrators burn two churches in Chile on anniversary of protests

SANTIAGO, Chile (CNS) -- Demonstrators burned two Catholic churches in Chile, where gatherings to mark the one-year anniversary of mass protests against inequality descended into chaos. Church officials and media reports described the Oct. 18 gatherings through the country as peaceful, but unrest broke out late in the day, with some protesters entering and vandalizing parishes in Santiago, the national capital.
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10/19/2020
Vatican coins illustrate Bible stories, mark anniversaries

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The most expensive Vatican commemorative coins for 2020 continue a numismatic series illustrating scenes from the Acts of the Apostles; the other mid-October issues mark important anniversaries and themes dear to the heart of the pope.
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10/19/2020
Inspired by Gospel, Christians need to be active in society, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The mission of the church and of all Christians is to proclaim and live the Gospel in daily life, Pope Francis said. "Each one of us, by virtue of baptism, is called to be an active presence in society, inspiring it with the Gospel and with the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit," he said.
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10/15/2020
Vatican gathers ambassadors to hear what is happening in Syria

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As the world's attention is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and its dire economic consequences, the Vatican urged nations not to forget the people of Syria, who are still living in a situation of violence and extreme need.
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10/15/2020
Dutch government backs euthanasia for children under 12

CNA Staff, Oct 14, 2020 CNA.- The government of the Netherlands has announced it will allow the euthanization of terminally ill children between the ages of one and 12. “There is a need for active termination of life among doctors and parents of incurably ill children, who are suffering hopelessly and unbearably and will die within the foreseeable future,” Health Minister Hugo de Jonge wrote in an Oct. 13 letter to parliament.
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10/15/2020
Pope picks Bishop Semeraro to lead sainthood congregation

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has named Italian Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, secretary of his Council of Cardinals, to be the new prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes. The bishop, 72, succeeds Cardinal Angelo Becciu, whom the pope forced to resign in late September because of suspicious financial dealings.
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10/14/2020
Bring loved ones' urns to church for blessing, Manila Archdiocese says

MANILA, Philippines (CNS) -- The Manila Archdiocese said it would bless urns containing the ashes of coronavirus victims every Sunday after each Mass until Nov. 8. Ucanews.com reported the archdiocese said the Rite of Blessing for the Dead would be recited and urns would be sprinkled with holy water after Sunday Masses.
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10/14/2020
Reports: Analyst linked to Cardinal Becciu is arrested

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A political analyst allegedly hired as a security consultant by Cardinal Angelo Becciu was arrested by Italian authorities in Milan, Italian media reported. Cecilia Marogna was arrested Oct. 13 on suspicion of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds by the Italian financial police after an international warrant was issued by Interpol at the Vatican's request, according to reports.
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10/14/2020
Prayer, crying out to God is only source of salvation, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The purpose of crying out to the Lord in prayer is not to get used to suffering, but to remember that God, and not humankind, is the only source of salvation and consolation, Pope Francis said.
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10/14/2020
Vatican criminal trial begins against priests accused in abuse case

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Dressed in a black polo shirt with a sweater draped around his shoulders, Father Gabriele Martinelli, 28, heard a Vatican criminal court accuse him of repeatedly sexually abusing a younger student at a minor seminary inside the Vatican.
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10/14/2020
Pope, Council of Cardinals meet online to discuss Curia reform

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals met virtually Oct. 13, discussing the updated draft of a constitution reorganizing the Roman Curia and steps to implement it, the Vatican press office said.
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10/14/2020
Pandemic increases risks of human trafficking, exploitation, speakers say

ROME (CNS) -- While the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down or slowed most businesses, it does not appear to have put a dent in human trafficking, said Callista Gingrich, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.
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10/13/2020
Dante is prophet of hope along life's journey, pope says

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10/13/2020
Pope meets Cardinal Pell, thanks him for his 'witness'

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10/13/2020
Vatican updates transparency laws to strengthen financial management

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10/10/2020
Beatified teen showed that heaven is 'attainable goal,' cardinal says

ASSISI, Italy (CNS) -- Thousands sang and applauded as Italian teen Carlo Acutis was beatified in a town dear to him and to many Christians around the world: Assisi. During the Oct. 10 beatification Mass, Italian Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the papal legate for the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, read Pope Francis' apostolic letter proclaiming Acutis' "blessed," the step before canonization.
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10/9/2020
French cardinal says book royalties to go to abuse victims

OXFORD, England (CNS) -- A French cardinal who resigned as archbishop of Lyon after being acquitted of failing to report clerical sex abuse said the royalties from his new book would go to abuse victims.
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10/8/2020
French bishops rally Catholics against bioethics bill

PARIS (CNS) -- The French bishops' conference has urged Catholics to join mass protests against a government-backed bioethics bill that would liberalize abortion and embryo research and allow in vitro fertilization for lesbians and single mothers.
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10/8/2020
Cardinal offers defense after media reports raise more questions

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After he was asked to retire by Pope Francis for allegations of embezzlement, Cardinal Angelo Becciu denounced several media reports accusing him of using Vatican funds for other questionable purposes.
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10/7/2020
Pandemic leaves streets empty, shops shuttered in Jerusalem's Old City

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- During all the years he has worked as an assistant to the Franciscan Fathers at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jeries Majlaton has never seen the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem so deserted.
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10/7/2020
German churches plan to continue talks on shared Communion

BONN, Germany (CNS) -- The German Catholic bishops' conference and the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany plan to continue their discussions about shared Communion, reported the German Catholic news agency, KNA.
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10/7/2020
Eventual coronavirus vaccine should belong to everyone, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- An eventual vaccine for COVID-19 would belong to the world and should not be hoarded greedily by countries hosting the lab or labs that develop it, Pope Francis said. "The (coronavirus) vaccine cannot be the property of the country of the laboratory that discovered it or of a group of countries that were allied for this," he said. "If this were so, we would not have learned anything from so much suffering," the pope said in an interview with the Spanish edition of the magazine "Il Mio Papa" ("My Pope") published Oct. 7.
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10/6/2020
Vatican City State makes masks compulsory outdoors

CNA Staff, Oct 6, 2020 CNA.- Face coverings must be worn outdoors within the territory of Vatican City State to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a Vatican official announced Tuesday. In a Oct. 6 letter to Vatican department heads, Bishop Fernando Vérgez, Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, said that masks should be worn “in the open air and in all workplaces where distance cannot always be guaranteed.”
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10/6/2020
Reports say woman working for Becciu received 600,000 euros from Vatican Secretariat of State

Rome Newsroom, Oct 6, 2020 CNA.- Italian media reported this week that a woman with a company based in Slovenia received at least half a million euros from the Vatican’s Secretariat of State in connection with Cardinal Angelo Becciu.
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10/5/2020
Catholics globally credit pope for encyclical's call to uphold human dignity

CANBERRA, Australia (CNS) -- Pope Francis' new social encyclical offers a vision for the world of dignity for every person around the world and promotes a call to "build a new culture of fraternity and dialogue," said the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference.
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10/5/2020
Pope Benedict had approved the Vatican-China agreement, cardinal says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican-China agreement on the appointment of bishops was a pastoral, not political agreement, that also had been approved by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican Secretary of State said.
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10/5/2020
Pope: Authority is act of serving, not exploiting, others

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Those in positions of authority, especially in the Catholic Church, would do well to remember that their responsibility is to serve those in their care and not exploit them for their own selfish interests, Pope Francis said.
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10/4/2020
Encyclical highlights need for fraternity to counter war, cardinal says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' social encyclical sees the need for human fraternity as more than just an abstract concept, but as a concrete path toward peaceful coexistence in a world fraught by war, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
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10/4/2020
'Fratelli Tutti' shows need for dialogue in the church, speaker says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The pre-publication controversy over the title of Pope Francis' new encyclical illustrates how the Catholic Church itself needs to engage in dialogue and listening, just like society does, said a theologian invited by the Vatican to help present the document.
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10/4/2020
Belief in God as creator of all has practical consequences, pope says

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10/4/2020
Pope calls for politics to rediscover its vocation to work for common good

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People who think politics is sinking to new lows may find comfort in knowing Pope Francis also is concerned about the debasement of what church teaching has described as a "lofty vocation."
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10/3/2020
Pope signs new encyclical in Assisi

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Bringing the Vatican official in charge of translations with him, Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, "Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship," at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, source of the document's title and inspiration.
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