Author: Archdiocese of San Antonio

Pope reads speeches unassisted after illness

December 7, 2023

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Pope Francis had seven meetings the morning of December 7 where he read out three speeches unassisted for the first time in nearly two weeks.  The pope, who has been recovering from a bout of bronchitis, said that he was feeling “much better” on December 6 but opted to have an aide read his general…

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Christianity growing despite world’s worst persecutions, new report says 

November 30, 2023

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A new report from a Christian advocacy group says that Christianity continues to thrive and grow despite brutal repression and attempts by governments, groups, and individuals across the world to quash the faith.  The 2023 “Persecutors of the Year” report was released this month by the advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC).  ICC’s report sheds light on…

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Vatican joins interfaith declaration on fighting climate change 

November 29, 2023

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The Holy See has signed an interfaith declaration on taking action to protect the environment during a religious summit held ahead of the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai.  Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, signed the statement on behalf of Pope Francis during the Global Faith Leaders Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab…

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Pope Francis recognizes miracle attributed to Argentine Cardinal Pironio who died in 1998 

November 28, 2023

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Pope Francis approved a miracle on November 8 attributed to Argentine Cardinal Eduardo Pironio, paving the way for the beatification of the curial cardinal whom the pope considered a friend.  The miracle, which Francis approved, involved the healing of a 15-month old boy in 2006 in Argentina named Juan Manuel Franco who suffered from acute…

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Missouri attorney general files lawsuit against FDA over abortion-pill-by-mail  

November 27, 2023

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The attorney general of Missouri announced a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the agency’s approval of shipping abortion drugs through the mail.  Republican State Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced the filing on his website on November 6, claiming that the FDA had “unlawfully approv[ed] the shipment of chemical abortion pills in…

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More than 40,000 young people make pilgrimage to Virgin of Rio Blanco shrine in Argentina

November 26, 2023

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During the month of October under the theme “Like the martyrs, together with Mary, firm in the faith,” thousands of people from the northern province of Jujuy in Argentina make pilgrimages to the shrine of their patroness, the Virgin of Río Blanco and Paypaya. Last weekend more than 40,000 young people turned out for the…

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Nigerian bishop: Tens of thousands spent to rescue kidnapped priests, seminarians

November 25, 2023

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A lack of security is impoverishing the Church in Nigeria, the bishop of Nigeria’s Sokoto Diocese said this week, noting that in the northern part of the country alone, more than 30 million naira (about $37,200) has been spent to rescue Church personnel. Most of the money has been spent rescuing priests, seminarians, and other pastoral…

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Our Lady of Guadalupe statue untouched by Hurricane Otis’ destructive winds in Mexico

November 24, 2023

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A statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, including a cloth mantle, was left intact amid the devastation caused by Hurricane Otis, which struck the coastal city of Acapulco and other areas of the Mexican state of Guerrero in late October with wind gusts of up to 200 miles per hour. The Category 5 hurricane, which…

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Pope Francis opens two new laundromats for the homeless

November 23, 2023

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Pope Francis opened two new laundromats for the homeless in the northern Italian city of Turin on November 2.  The new facilities are part of an initiative launched in collaboration with the international consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble and the consumer electronics company Haier Europe, with the assistance of the Community of Sant’Egidio and…

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Arlington bishop: ‘Reflect on faithful witness’ during Black Catholic History Month

November 22, 2023

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Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Michael Burbidge is urging Catholics to “reflect on the faithful witness” of Black Catholics during the Church’s annual Black Catholic History Month observed in November. The Virginia bishop said in a statement on his diocese’s website that the month is “an important time” to review “the critical roles” that Black Catholics play in the…

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