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Faith
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Dumaguete bishop: ‘Reclamation project morally wrong’
DUMAGUETE Bishop Julito B. Cortes reiterated his opposition to the city’s proposed 174-hectare reclamation project, calling it “morally…
Sanctions on Iran block mosque from claiming religious tiles
MANASSAS, Virginia—A northern Virginia mosque is asking the Biden administration to release a set of religious tiles that…
ECQ causes changes to Pabillo’s installation as Taytay prelate
PUERTO Princesa Bishop Socrates C. Mesiona will install Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo to the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay…
Religious revival on in China under Communist Party’s watch
THE Chinese Communist Party is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1921. For most of those decades, the…
Catholic, IFI churches move toward reconciliation
The Philippine Catholic Church and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) released a joint statement recently, vowing to continue…
Fasting health fad: Religious groups have been doing it for millennia
The practice of fasting has entered popular culture in recent years as a way to lose extra pounds.…
For US teen Buddhist lama, it’s faith, school, football
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minnesota—In most ways, Jalue Dorje is a typical American teen—he grew up in a suburb of…
Vatican: 5th Catholic bishop consecrated under China deal
A Vatican spokesman confirmed recently that the fifth bishop to be created under the 2018 Vatican-China deal has…
Hidilyn Diaz: ‘Thank you for praying’
Olympic weightlifting gold winner reveals story behind ‘Miraculous Medal’
Divine transformation: Closed Alaska strip club now a church
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—A popular strip club that once beckoned customers off a busy highway leading into Anchorage is now…
US bishops issue guidance on Traditional Latin Mass
DENVER, Colorado—A growing number of bishops in the US, including Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, have issued guidance…
Redemptorists condemn red-tagging of its Laoag missionaries as unlawful, unjust
THE Redemptorists have condemned the “malicious tagging” of its missionaries in Northern Luzon as communist supporters—calling on government…
Nuncio to bring plight of drug war orphans, widows to Pope Francis
PAPAL Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown has assured the widows and orphans of the “drug…
Cardinal Bo: Myanmar under ‘excruciating period of anguish’
MYANMAR’S Cardinal Charles Maung Bo has welcomed expressions of solidarity for his nation’s people who are struggling from…
Advincula eyes ‘mission stations’ for young priests of Manila
NEWLY installed Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Jr. is looking to establish “mission stations”—most likely to be led…
Muslims mark Eid al-Adha holiday in pandemic’s shadow
CAIRO—Muslims around the world were observing Tuesday yet another major Islamic holiday in the shadow of the pandemic…
Pabillo to be installed Taytay bishop on Aug. 19
BISHOP Broderick S. Pabillo will assume his post as Vicar Apostolic of Taytay next month. In an advisory,…
Christian attitudes on abortion have a more nuanced history
Opponents and supporters of legal abortion in the US will be watching when the Supreme Court hears Dobbs v.…
Tokyo prelate to Olympic athletes: Don’t visit churches during Games
The Catholic archbishop of Tokyo has asked visiting Olympic athletes and coaches to refrain from attending local Catholic…
Why was Pope Francis reported as resigning ‘in the next few hours?’
VATICAN—Rumors started to fly around social media Monday claiming that Pope Francis was “likely” to resign from the…
PHL’s oldest St. Joseph image to be granted episcopal coronation
Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma has approved the episcopal coronation of the “oldest venerated image of St. Joseph…
Diocese opposes plan to reclaim Dumaguete
DUMAGUETE CITY—A Catholic diocese is opposing a 174-hectare reclamation project because of the environmental impact it could have…
Prelate to public: ‘Have a jab. When Covid hits you, you’ll call all the saints’
A Catholic archbishop and Covid-19 survivor added his voice to help address the vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos. Archbishop…
Dalai Lama marks 86th birthday
DHARAMSHALA, India—The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama celebrated turning 86 a few days ago, thanking his supporters…
The role of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church
The biannual US Catholic bishops’ meeting received more than its usual attention last June due to one particular item on…
What kind of surgery did Pope Francis have?
LONDON—Pope Francis has had surgery to remove part of his left colon in what the Vatican has described…
Why choosing the next dalai lama will be a religious-and political-issue
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual leader of Tibet, is turning 86 on July 6, 2021. With…
Archbishop asks for prayers for sainthood of Ilocano bishop
A Catholic archbishop has called for prayers to advance the cause of the first Ilocano candidate to sainthood.…
Pope Francis: Saints Peter, Paul found freedom in Christ
VATICAN—In the largest Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica since the start of the pandemic, Pope Francis celebrated the…
Francis appoints Pabillo as bishop to Palawan; Pedregosa to Malaybalay
Pope Francis has appointed Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo of Manila as the new bishop of the Apostolic…
Pope to elderly: The Church needs your prayers like ‘a deep breath’
VATICAN—There is no “retirement” from spreading the faith, Pope Francis said in a message to grandparents recently, adding…
White Gen X and millennial evangelicals losing faith in the conservative culture wars
Since the 1970s, white American evangelicals—a large subsection of Protestants who hold to a literal reading of the…
With lack of burial space, Japan’s ‘tree burials’ gain in popularity
As the global population continues to grow, space for putting the dead to rest is at a premium.…
Installation of Cardinal Advincula set; only 400 guests allowed inside cathedral
The Manila Archdiocese is limiting to 400 the number of guests allowed at the installation ceremony of Jose…
Faith still shapes morals, values even after people are ‘done’ with religion
Religion forms a moral foundation for billions of people throughout the world. In a 2019 survey, 44 percent of…
Diving into the names of Joseph and Mary
“What’s in a name?” Juliet asks in Shakespeare’s tragedy, “that which we call a rose by any other…
Tagle chokes up as he recalls grandfather’s migration story
VATICAN—Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle choked up Tuesday while sharing the story of his grandfather’s migration journey from China…
Pope to priests: Be shepherds with ‘the smell of the sheep’
Pope Francis recently recalled a favorite imagery of a pastor, urging that priests be “shepherds with the ‘smell…
CEAP to confer highest award on Fr. Bernas and Sr. Sta. Ana
The country’s largest association of Catholic educators will confer the “Pro Deo et Patria” award posthumously on Fr.…
Pilgrims return to Spain’s ‘El Camino’ paths after pandemic
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain—Committing to the pilgrim’s path has for centuries been a source of renewal for those…
Tarlac’s Mater Dolorosa canonically crowned as the ‘Mother of Novaliches’ awaits hers
The venerated image of Mater Dolorosa de Capas was canonically crowned on June 5 by Archbishop Charles John…
Manila priests hold ‘penitential walk’
Around a hundred Catholic priests took part in a “penitential walk” on the streets of Quiapo and Sta.…
Praying before swimming
A Muslim boy prays before taking a swim in the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq, near the border…
Pope names Filipino archbishop as envoy to Israel and Cyprus
Pope Francis has appointed a Filipino archbishop as the Vatican’s ambassador to the Holy Land, the birthplace of…
Maryknoll priest Fr. James ‘Jim’ Ferry, 95
Maryknoll priest James Jay Timothy Thomas Patrick Paul Ferry, vicar for the religious of the Archdiocese of Manila,…
Pope Francis unveils sweeping reform of Catholic Church’s penal sanctions
VATICAN—The Vatican published recently major revisions to Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, which covers penal…
Pope launches 7-year Laudato si’ action plan
VATICAN—Pope Francis launched the Vatican’s seven-year Laudato si’ action plan to implement environmental sustainability in different sectors of…
Brazilian boy who painted pictures of saints to help pay for his medical treatment dies
SÃO PAULO, Brazil—Daniel Neves, a 13-year-old boy who painted pictures of the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary…
Fr. Eliseo Mercado, peace advocate, dies
Fr. Eliseo “Jun” Mercado, a longtime Mindanao peace advocate, died Sunday due to heart attack. The Philippine Province…
Manila clergy to lead fasting, ‘penitential walk’ to end pandemic
Manila’s Catholic clergy will lead a fasting and “penitential walk” to implore God’s mercy amid the prevailing Covid-19…
CBCP releases prayer for National Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 12
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday released the prayer for the upcoming National Consecration…
Pope on Myanmar: May God convert all hearts to peace
AN expression of the Church’s closeness to the suffering people of Myanmar, Pope Francis joined Burmese Catholics for…
Israel-Gaza conflict: Patriarch asks Catholics to pray for peace, justice
PATRIARCH Pierbattista Pizzaballa has urged Catholics worldwide to pray for “peace and justice,” as violence continues to rock…
Caritas Manila distributes ₧20 million in GCs to urban poor
AMID the prevailing community quarantine, Caritas Manila will be giving away another round of gift certificates (GCs) to…
German Catholics to bless gay unions despite Vatican’s ban
BERLIN—Germany’s powerful Catholic progressives are openly defying a recent Holy See pronouncement that priests cannot bless same-sex unions…
Pope Francis: Prayer works miracles
VATICAN—Pope Francis said last Wednesday that persistent prayer can lead to miracles “because prayer goes directly to the…
Bishops will reconsecrate PHL to Mary
The Philippine Catholic bishops will reconsecrate the nation to the care of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The…
Vatican warns US bishops over get-tough Communion proposals
The head of the Vatican’s doctrine office is warning US bishops to deliberate carefully and minimize divisions before…
Cardinal Advincula to receive ‘red hat’ in a rite on May 28
Cardinal Jose Advincula, the archbishop-elect of Manila, will receive his “red hat,” called a biretta, in a ceremony…
Abortion issue: Bishops’ pressing Biden not to take Communion deepens divide in Catholic Church
President Joe Biden is the highest-profile and most powerful lay Catholic in American life today—but he also holds policy views…
AMRSP changes name to Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines
The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) is changing its name after 50 years. The…
Francis quashes Vatican ‘envelope’ culture with ban on gifts over $50
VATICAN—As part of a sweeping new anticorruption law, Pope Francis on Thursday declared that officials of the Roman…
Filipino bishops entrust PHL to St. Joseph
Philippine Catholic bishops have placed the nation under the special patronage of St. Joseph on May 1, his…
Muslim Bosnia miners break fast underground during Ramadan
ZENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina—Groups of men are preparing for long hours of hard labor deep underground in a trouble-plagued coal…
Antipolo Cathedral joins global monthlong rosary to end pandemic
The country’s oldest national shrine, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, also known…
Number 153: What is its meaning?
We are in another season of Easter within this rather strange period in human history. It is a…
Borongan bishop warns against lifting mining ban
Allowing more mining operations in the country could prove disastrous on top of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, warned…
US Catholic bishops may press Biden to stop taking Communion
When US Catholic bishops hold their next national meeting in June, they’ll be deciding whether to send a…
Church groups hit red-tagging of humanitarian missions
Religious groups recently slammed the red-tagging of the organizers of the “community pantries” and other humanitarian initiatives during…
Archdiocese of Manila declares May 8 as day of mourning for Covid deaths
The Archdiocese of Manila declared May 8 as a day of mourning for those who died from the …
Vatican webinar urges common efforts to care for biodiversity
In partnership with the Vatican Covid-19 Commission Ecology Taskforce, the Dicastery for Integral Human Development on Tuesday hosted…
Baptism of 7 Cebu kids highlights Mass for 500th year of Christianity
CEBU CITY—The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown administered on April 14 the sacrament of…
Why is Ramadan called Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending…
Religious leaders recall deep spiritual curiosity of Prince Philip
LONDON—Churches in Britain held services to remember Prince Philip as people of many religions reflected on a man…
Novaliches diocese launches ‘E-Pray’ to reach out to Covid-19 patients
A Catholic diocese in Metro Manila has adopted an online platform to reach out to isolated Covid-19 patients…
Filipinos in Spain celebrate 500 years of Christianity
A Vatican envoy led the Filipino community in the Spanish capital of Madrid in celebrating the 500 Years of…
Catholic women’s groups in Europe protest Vatican’s gay union stance
BERLIN—Five Catholic women‘s organizations in German-speaking areas have released an open letter calling for the Vatican to reverse…
Vaccine skepticism runs deep among white evangelicals in US
The president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), America’s largest evangelical denomination, posted a photo on Facebook last…
Atimonan church calls for ecological conversion, end to coal and coal financing
Church leaders and youth in Atimonan town, Quezon on Good Friday took the lead once more in pushing…
Pope: Jesus entrusted Mary to us as a Mother, ‘not as co-redeemer’
VATICAN—Pope Francis said that Jesus entrusted the Virgin Mary to us as a Mother, “not as co-redeemer.” Speaking…
Holy Week in the time of Covid-19
Images of the traditional Holy Week practices in the Philippines—such as the waving of palm fronds on Palm…
Passover: Time to recognize tragedies, offer hope for the future
Jewish families will gather for Passover this year in circumstances that will, like the celebration itself, reflect on dark times…
U.S. never had a pilgrimage tradition, now is the opportunity
One feature of the pandemic has been the curtailment of a practice that for millennia has provided an…
Vatican: Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions
VATICAN—The Vatican’s doctrinal office last week clarified that the Catholic Church “does not have the power” to give…
Parishioners plant trees to mark 500 yrs of Christianity on Homonhon
GUIUAN, Eastern Samar—A small parish in an island that is dominated by decades-old chromite mining operations led the…
List of Jubilee Churches for the celebration of the 500 Years of Christianity in PHL
Continuation The country’s 85 dioceses have listed 537 pilgrimage Jubilee Churches for the quincentennial celebration of the evangelization…
Faith leaders get Covid-19 shot to curb vaccine reluctance
WASHINGTON—More than two dozen clergy members from the capital region rolled up their sleeves inside the Washington National…
Are nationalist Buddhist monks in Myanmar backing the coup?
Buddhist monasteries are usually known as places of solace and meditation. But one in Myanmar’s biggest city became…
Pope on Iraqi Christians: This is the pure Gospel
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE—Pope Francis said Monday that the sight of the destroyed churches and ruins in Mosul…
A woman of faith finds her heart in her writings
During Women’s Month, tributes are given to women in the fields they excel. This woman of faith, a…
Cebu’s jubilee year for 500 years of Christianity gets nod from pope
Pope Francis has granted the request of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to declare within the archdiocese a Special…
Buddhist temple food pantry a lifeline for Nepalese students
NEW YORK—Inside the temple in the New York City borough of Queens, monks clad in maroon robes chanted…
Benedict XVI talks about his resignation, Iraq and Biden
VATICAN—Benedict XVI addressed conspiracy theories about his resignation as pope, Pope Francis’s trip to Iraq and Joe Biden…
List of Jubilee Churches for PHL’s celebration of 500 yrs of Christianity
First of a series Diocese of Alaminos 1. St. James the Great Parish (Bolinao, Pangasinan)2. St. Joseph, the…
Vatican issues Holy Week 2021 guidelines amid Covid-19 woes
VATICAN—The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued guidelines recently for the celebration…
Faith shines bright amid darkness in Myanmar
Three weeks after Myanmar’s army effectively ended Myanmar’s ten-year-old fledgling democracy, protesters again gathered on Wednesday in Yangon.…
Catholic missionary priest nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
A Catholic missionary priest in Madagascar known for serving the poor living on a landfill has been nominated…
Anti-vax at the Vatican? You might lose your job
ROME—The Vatican is taking Pope Francis’ pro-vaccine stance very seriously: Any Vatican employee who refuses to get a…
Pope: Lent is a journey from slavery to freedom
VATICAN—Pope Francis said the 40 days of Lent are an opportunity to turn from the slavery of sin…
Ruling brings new business, old fears to kosher slaughterhouse
CSENGELE, Hungary—In a small room lined with religious texts, a Jewish rabbi demonstrates how knives are sharpened and…