Father Wissam Akiki became the first married man to be ordained a priest for the U.S. Maronite Catholic Church on Feb. 27 at St. Raymond’s Maronite Cathedral in St. Louis, Mo. • Thousands lined up at the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus on Feb. 24 in hope of receiving one of the 450 family food parcels handed out by U.N. relief workers. • A survey released Feb. 26, conducted by the Public Religion and Research Institute in Washington, found a dramatic change among U.S. Catholics on same-sex marriage; almost 60 percent now favor it. • In a letter to Congress released on Feb. 26, Catholic bishops and evangelical leaders pleaded for “common-sense fixes” to U.S. immigration policies, noting that the current system “does not reflect our commitment to the values of human dignity, family unity and respect for the rule of law that define us as Americans.” • Bishop Raymond Boland, retired bishop of Kansas City and former bishop of Birmingham, passed away on Feb. 27 in his native Ireland. • The first-ever National Catholic Sisters Week, honoring Catholic sisters who have served faithfully as an integral part of American history, kicked off on the weekend of March 7-9 at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, Minn.
News Briefs
Show Comments ()
1
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Paul Ferris
10 years 1 month ago
As a former Maronite seminarian from 1962 to 1968 I saw many men leave the seminary over the issue of celibacy. I am glad Pope Francis made this exception, but according to the Maronite Voice, the rule has not changed. This case was considered an exception. The unjust rule since 1920 stands. ,
The latest from america
“His presence brings prestige to our nation and to the entire Group of 7. It is the first time that a pope will participate in the work of the G7,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.
“Many conflicting, divergent and often contradictory views of the human person have found wide acceptance … they have led to holders of traditional theories being cancelled or even losing their jobs,” the bishops said.
Robots can give you facts. But they can’t give you faith.
“Irena’s Vow” is true story of a Catholic nurse who used her position to shelter a dozen Jews in World War II-era Poland.