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null / Credit: Brian A Jackson / ShutterstockCNA Newsroom, Apr 11, 2024 / 06:45 am (CNA).At a hearing for a criminal trial in France, a priest of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) who spent six years in the U.S. has admitted to sexual misconduct with French minors over a period of 15 years, local media reported Sunday. Speaking at the criminal court in the city of Gap in southeastern France, Father Arnaud Rostand on April 4 admitted to the accusations, according to La Provence newspaper, saying: "I ask for forgiveness from the victims and deeply regret everything I have done."The 58-year-old is charged with misconduct against seven boys, often during church-related activities like scout camps in France, Spain, and Switzerland, the paper said, noting the abuse allegedly took place over a 15-year period between 2002 and 2018.During that time, the priest held several roles, including that of a school principal in France, but also served as U.S. district superior from 2008 to 2...
"A retreat is a moment of prolonged personal encounter, without distractions, with God, and in God, with oneself," says Father Guillermo Serra. / Credit: ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Apr 6, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).Four Catholic priests shared their reflections in answer to a simple but very important question for the life of faith: Why go on a spiritual retreat?Father Antonio Domenech Guillén, a priest of the Diocese of Cuenca in Spain, said that "a retreat is always worthwhile, especially during Lent and Easter, those more focused times that help us bring our hearts closer to the Lord.""We always need it. Jesus says in the Gospel that 'those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but only the sick,' and if we recognize that we are sick, the Lord heals us every day, and a good way is to go on a retreat to be cured, like the person who goes to a hospital, to the doctor," the priest explained."If you give your time to God, he multiplies it like all spiritual goods. Material th...
null / Andrii Zastrozhnov/ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Apr 4, 2024 / 14:00 pm (CNA).Father Francisco "Patxi" Bronchalo of the Diocese of Getafe in Spain shared on X about the emotional wounds he has encountered throughout his pastoral experience in persons who declare themselves "trans."The priest began a thread on X on April 3 affirming that "a man who says he's a woman is not a woman but a man who says he's a woman," which "seems obvious" but nevertheless means going against "the ideological trans dogma and makes many people cry to high heaven."The priest explained that among people who declare themselves "trans," he has always found in his pastoral experience that "there are deep wounds that have led to nonacceptance of their biological reality."Given this, instead of facing their problems, they are offered an "escape forward" into an ideology "that says that biological reality does not define what a person is but that what is defining is how this person perceives...
Original painting of the Divine Mercy by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934. / Credit: Wikimedia Commons 4.0Boston, Mass., Apr 3, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).What do St. John Paul II and St. Maria Faustina Kowalska have in common? They both became saints and were instrumental in the institution of Divine Mercy Sunday, which offers many graces to the faithful. When Divine Mercy Sunday rolls around again this year, the faithful have the opportunity to take refuge in the depths of Christ's mercy by receiving either a plenary or partial indulgence.Here are some facts about Divine Mercy Sunday, including the Church's guidance on how to receive indulgences on the day:What is Divine Mercy Sunday?Divine Mercy Sunday is the Sunday after Easter each year. Divine Mercy Sunday was first announced in an April 2000 homily given by Pope John Paul II for the Mass celebrating the canonization of Maria Faustina Kowalska.St. Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun who received prophetic messages from Chris...
Pope Francis presides over Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square on March 31, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Mar 31, 2024 / 08:15 am (CNA).Pope Francis presided over Mass in St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday 2024 before giving the traditional urbi et orbi blessing in the presence of approximately 60,000 people.On a warm and windy Easter Sunday at the Vatican, Pope Francis proclaimed: "Jesus Christ is risen! He alone has the power to roll away the stones that block the path to life. He, the living One, is himself that path. He is the Way."An icon of Christ was blown over by strong winds during Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square. Vatican Media"Only the risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of our sins, opens the way for a renewed world," the pope added.Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in his urbi et orbi blessing, Pope Francis said that "today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed 2,000 years ago fro...
Pope Francis gives his urbi et orbi message and blessing from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica on March 31, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Mar 31, 2024 / 08:45 am (CNA).In his Easter Sunday blessing, Pope Francis asked the risen Lord to open paths of peace in the Holy Land, Ukraine, and all regions of the world suffering from war and violence.Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on March 31, Pope Francis called for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. He appealed for humanitarian access for the people of Gaza and called for the prompt release of the hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023."Jesus alone opens up before us the doors of life, those doors that continually we shut with the wars spreading throughout the world," Pope Francis said."Today we want, first and foremost, to turn our eyes to the Holy City of Jerusalem, that witnessed the mystery of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and to all the Christian c...
Pope Francis gives his urbi et orbi Easter blessing from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica on March 31, 2024. / Credit: Pablo Esparza/CNAVatican City, Mar 31, 2024 / 09:15 am (CNA).On the morning of Easter Sunday 2024, Pope Francis presided over Mass in St. Peter's Square before delivering his urbi et orbi message and blessing from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica in the presence of an estimated 60,000 people."Urbi et orbi" means "To the city [of Rome] and to the world." It is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.Here is the full text of the pope's blessing:Dear brothers and sisters: Happy Easter!Today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed 2,000 years ago from Jerusalem: "Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised!" (Mk 16:6).The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The tomb of Jesus had ...
Adoration. / Thoom / Shutterstock.CNA Staff, Mar 28, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).Did you know that it is possible to sing a special song of adoration on Holy Thursday and have your soul purified?It's true, and the song is "Tantum Ergo."First, some background...A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove all temporal punishment due to sin.What does this mean?"An indulgence does not confer grace. An indulgence is not a remission of the guilt due to sin. The guilt due to sin is ordinarily taken away by the sacraments of baptism and penance (confession), in which we receive forgiveness for sins through Jesus Christ," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) explains in this helpful Q&A."Although guilt is taken away, and with it the eternal penalty that is due to sin, namely, damnation, the eternal loss of the presence of God, there remain consequences for sins that those who have committed them ...
Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist will be shown in theaters June 4, 5, and 6, 2024. / Credit: Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the EucharistCNA Staff, Mar 25, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).A new film focusing on the transformative power of the Eucharist will be hitting the big screen this June."Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist" will take viewers on a journey to rediscover and revive the importance of the Eucharist through dialogue with notable Catholic figures by exploring the biblical origins of the Eucharist and sharing personal stories from those whose lives have been impacted by the Blessed Sacrament. The film will be shown in theaters nationwide June 4, 5, and 6 through Fathom Events. Each date will consist of two showings, a 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. showing in each given time zone. Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist will be shown in theaters June 4-6. Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the EucharistSeveral well-known Catholics make an appearance in the fi...
A participant in a Women's March event Jan. 18, 2020, in San Francisco holds a "Pass the Equal Rights Amendment" sign while marching. / Credit: Sundry Photography/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 22, 2024 / 18:30 pm (CNA).Nevada Judge Erika Ballou ruled this week that the state must include abortion in its Medicaid program.This ruling effectively mandates Nevada taxpayers fund abortion. It is unclear whether the state will appeal the decision.Ballou did not give any explanation for her Tuesday ruling, only issuing a one-page order that granted a local pro-abortion group's request to strike down the Medicaid restrictions. The pro-abortion group, called "Silver State Hope Fund," which provides grants for women seeking abortions, applauded the ruling, calling it a "historic day for Nevada."Represented by ACLU Nevada, Silver State Hope Fund filed a suit against the state's Health and Human Services Department in Augu...
