Pope Francis was overwhelmingly popular with ordinary Catholics in the United States. But Francis’ priorities often failed to take root here.
US Church
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
The helplessness of Jesus on the cross: A Holy Week reflection
For me, there are three themes that I draw out of our tradition and that I emphasize in my preaching: solidarity, empathy and gratuitousness.
Posted inFaith, News
JD Vance announces trip to Rome, meeting at Vatican without Pope Francis—for now
The Vatican press office has said that it has no information to share about Vance’s trip, but if the vice president were to participate in one of the liturgies, it would let people know.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
What Gaza is like now: 2.1 million people are ‘trapped, bombed and starved’
The Israeli military began perhaps its most aggressive ground offensive so far in the war to root out what is left of Hamas, maintaining an almost daily pace of incursions and airstrikes. The results have been devastating.
Posted inFaith, News
Report: Man charged in murder of Kansas priest wrote letters railing against Vatican II
An Oklahoma man charged Friday with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a Catholic priest wrote letters to a newspaper railing against the Catholic Church reforms of Vatican II and referring to a “strange new version of ‘Catholicism.’”
Posted inFaith, News
Disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick dies at 94
McCarrick had been removed from ministry at the direction of the Vatican in June 2018 due to a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a teenager investigated by the Archdiocese of New York.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Why Pope Francis means so much to non-Catholics
The thought of losing Pope Francis one day is a hard one for me to grapple with; I know my reasons why. What surprised me was how many of my non-Catholic friends, even those whose feelings toward the church are decisively negative, also expressed their care and concern.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Catholic Relief Services responds to Myanmar earthquake disaster
“Hospitals are overwhelmed, and people are sleeping out on the streets, anywhere they can, in fields and playgrounds and religious compounds.”
Posted inFaith, News
First-of-its-kind sensory room at church welcomes neurodivergent parishioners
“Having a sensory room in a place of worship is probably more important than anywhere else because everyone should feel welcome in their faith.”
Posted inFaith, News
As Kansas Catholics pray, a Satanic group’s ‘black mass’ turns violent, with arrests
The altercation capped a month-long saga surrounding the Satanic group’s “black mass,” which founder Michael Stewart had sought to perform in the Capitol so that “God will fall and Kansas will be embraced by the black flame of Lucifer.”