Faith

VATICAN—Pope Francis met recently with pilgrims from the southern Philippine archdiocese of Ozamis, encouraging them to spend their lives in the service of others.

TORVAIANICA, Italy—Pope Francis’ recent gesture of welcome for transgender Catholics has resonated strongly in this working class, seaside town south of Rome, where a community of trans women has found help and hope through a remarkable relationship with the pontiff forged during the darkest times of the pandemic.

The papal charity, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), will commemorate “Red Wednesday” on November 29, an event of solidarity that serves as a reminder that Christian persecution is an ongoing phenomenon.

Filipino chaplains in Italy gathered to talk about providing better service to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). 

He is known as the “Father of Flores de Mayo,” a nationalist, a religious writer and a teacher.

HONG KONG—The head of the Catholic church in China began a trip to Hong Kong on Tuesday at the invitation of the city’s pope-appointed Roman Catholic cardinal, marking the first official visit by a Beijing bishop in history.

“If Jesus gave, why not us too?” Thus, said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it encouraged and welcomed everyone to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ through gift-giving during the kick-off of its 2023 Light the World Giving Machines on November 9.

It’s true that priests are responsible for all souls in their parish. But they need help too, especially in fulfilling their call to be holy, a renowned international retreat speaker said.

The Vatican’s doctrinal body has urged the Philippine bishops to adopt a ‘coordinated strategy’ against the growing number of Filipino Catholics joining Masonic lodges.

Ten years on, a Catholic bishop said that many people are still struggling to move on from the deadly Super Typhoon Yolanda (international code Haiyan) that ripped through central Philippines.

SANTA MARÍA ATZOMPA, México—Ana Martínez is eager to welcome her deceased loved ones back home.

The Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) is celebrating this year its historic 100 years of presence in the Philippines that started with the arrival of French Carmelite nuns in Jaro, Iloilo, on November 9, 1923,.

VATICAN—Pope Francis on Wednesday told pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square that holiness is both a “gift” from God and a “journey” to which we must “commit” ourselves after we’ve received it.

VATICAN—The recently concluded 2023 Synod of Bishops is proposing major changes in Church decision-making processes and the way dioceses and parishes are governed.

There is no shortcut or a “magic formula” to the grieving process nor is there a linear timeframe when grieving is expected to end and allow healing to begin.

VATICAN—The faith is immutable, but doctrine can develop and has in fact developed over time.  

ROME—Pope Francis has commended the “little greatness” of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in a new message focusing on the 19th-century Carmelite’s relevance for the Church today.

ROME—A prominent Irish nun said that women’s voices are being heard at Pope Francis’ big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church, and said delegates are also acknowledging the hurt caused by the church’s position on homosexuality.

As a scholar of global Islam, I teach an introduction to Islam course and include a discussion about Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as part of the syllabus. That’s because Al-Aqsa has deep religious significance for Muslims around the world.

More and more surveys point to decreasing membership in religious institutions and a corresponding rise of “nones.” Many people might assume that this indicates the absence of belief or a lack of spirituality.

The 16th Synod of Bishops, the first part of which is taking place in Rome, from October 4 to 29, and the second in 2024, will be the culmination of a two-year, worldwide conversation in the Catholic Church.

VATICAN—Pope Francis opened the Synod on Synodality’s three-week assembly last Wednesday with a call to remember that the Church exists to bring Jesus to the world and should face today’s challenges with a gaze fixed on God rather than “political calculations or ideological battles.”

Worn by some Muslim women, an abaya is a long, loose-fitting, robe-like garment that covers the entire body, except for the face, hands and feet.

The Diocese of Cubao has declared every second Sunday of October as the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval.

A Catholic prelate saw a glimmer of hope after two former spokesmen of the government’s anticommunist task force were reprimanded for “red-tagging.”