In his first Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis encourages the institutional Church to go out to the peripheries to encounter people and to bring them back into the fold of the Church. In his Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of Love” Pope Francis devotes a large section to caring for the divorced and remarried, people who often see themselves on the … [Read more...]
Annulment Prep Day
In San Bernardino diocese, Office of Canonical Services visits parishes to meet with people interested in filling out a petition for a declaration of nullity of marriage "to give a face to Pope Francis’ exhortation"July 25, 2018 9 Comments
U.S. House committee seeks protection for religious adoption agencies
Amendment to spending bill would allow adoption agencies receiving taxpayer money to refuse to place children with same-sex couplesJuly 16, 2018 6 Comments
The House Appropriations Committee moved to protect the conscience rights and religious freedom of faith-based adoption agencies on Wednesday. The committee adopted an amendment to an upcoming funding bill that would preserve federal funding for agencies who do not want to place children with same-sex couples. The amendment was introduced by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL). In a … [Read more...]
Cardinal: priests have no credibility to prepare couples for marriage
Cardinal Kevin Farrell is prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and LifeJuly 7, 2018 31 Comments
The Vatican official leading the Church’s office for laity, family, and life has said that priests do not have the credibility or experience to prepare couples for marriage. The official made similar remarks to Catholic leaders in September 2017. During an interview with the Irish Catholic magazine Intercom, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, … [Read more...]
What went wrong?
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone: "It is precisely the hard truths of our faith, those which the culture ignores and even despises, that have the greatest power to move people to conversion and be transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ"June 19, 2018 6 Comments
I recently received a letter from a young Catholic husband and father in which he observed: “Peers of mine who are converts or reverts have specifically cited teachings like ‘Humanae Vitae,’ ‘Familiaris Consortio,’ and ‘Veritatis Splendor’ as beacons that set the church apart from the world and other faiths.” What he suggests might seem counterintuitive, but it is borne out by … [Read more...]
“In this atmosphere it’s much easier to hear God’s call”
Why 1 in 10 new priests in the US come from homeschooling familiesJune 18, 2018 Leave a Comment
Statistics suggest that faith-based homeschooling has a crucial role in producing vocations. Data from a 2017 survey by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (Cara) at Georgetown University shows that nearly one in 10 young men in formation for the priesthood in the US were homeschooled. That’s a staggering number, considering there is only one homeschooler for … [Read more...]
Critics plan rival conference to World Meeting of Families
Parallel conference will feature Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Cardinal Raymond BurkeJune 18, 2018 18 Comments
Critics of the Vatican-backed World Meeting of Families have announced a parallel conference to be held at the same time. The World Meeting of Families is set to be held in Dublin in August, and the alternative series, the Conference of Catholic Families, will be held in nearby Ballsbridge. The National Catholic Register says the two-day conference, sponsored by the Lumen … [Read more...]
Still birth tax credit measure stalls in California legislature
AB 2259 sought to establish a $2,000 tax credit for still birth-related medical and burial or cremation costs; despite bipartisan support, Assembly Appropriations Committee won't advance billJune 6, 2018 1 Comment
A recent pro-life legislative proposal, which even managed to garner significant support from Democratic legislators, was held in fiscal committee and will not advance any further this year. Assembly Bill 2259, authored by Assemblymember Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) sought to establish a $2,000 tax credit for still birth-related medical and burial or cremation costs paid or … [Read more...]
San Bernardino Bishop: Trump Administration immigration policy is an attack on the family
Separation of children from their parents violates Church teaching on human dignity, Bishop Barnes saysJune 4, 2018 24 Comments
The following is an excerpt from a recent writing of Bishop Gerald Barnes of San Bernardino: We are called to take notice of and respond to specific situations and challenges that impact family life. One very painful and egregious example of this is recent reports of tactics now being carried out by federal immigration enforcement officials in regard to undocumented persons … [Read more...]
Vatican: Sports okay on Sunday, just don’t miss Mass
First-ever Vatican document on sports cautions against dangers of highly competitive children’s sports, political and economic pressures on athletes to win “at all costs” and the unsportsmanlike behavior of some fansJune 3, 2018 3 Comments
A new Vatican document cautions against the dangers of highly competitive children’s sports, political and economic pressures on athletes to win “at all costs” and the unsportsmanlike or violent behaviour of fans. The document, “Giving the Best of Yourself,” also condoned sports on Sundays as a means of bringing families and communities together in joy and celebration, but … [Read more...]
Parish foot soldiers combat human trafficking in San Francisco hotels
Traveling on foot from fleabag flophouses to four-star hotels and everything in between, trained parishioners from St. Ignatius Church knocked on doors with the goal of educating owners or managersApril 11, 2018 3 Comments
On March 24, the same day that downtown San Francisco swelled with thousands of protesters marching in support of victims of gun violence, nearly 50 St. Ignatius parishioners quietly fanned out on the same streets in solidarity with a less visible group of victims – the victims of human trafficking. Effective Jan. 1, 2018, Senate Bill 1193 added California Civil Code 52.6 to … [Read more...]
