Cardus

Destroying grain is a "grave offense to God," Pope Francis said, appealing to authorities in Russia as "my brothers" and urging them to resume cooperating with a United Nations' initiative to guarantee the safe transport of grain out of Ukraine.

With 80% of people identifying as Catholic, Portugal is among the countries with the highest church presence in Europe. The signs of the nation's intimate relationship with Catholicism are visible all across Lisbon, where thousands of youth have already arrived for World Youth Day. Pope Francis is joining them Aug. 2-6.

In the brave new world of artificial intelligence, many have raised questions and voiced fears about AI’s potential to surpass human intelligence and bypass human agency.

Less than 24 hours before her departure for Portugal on July 13, Isabel Correa, national coordinator for the Canadian delegation to World Youth Day (WYD), appeared to exemplify something of the Biblical verse that is the theme for this year’s pilgrimage, “Mary arose and went with haste.”

Winnipeg Archbishop Richard Gagnon said his 40 years of service to the Canadian Catholic Church, first as a priest and then as a bishop, “has gone by so quickly and is so full of events and people.”

As the war in Ukraine approaches its 18th month with no end in sight, the humanitarian needs are greater than ever in the war-devastated country, says Anna Dombrovska, Ukraine program coordinator for the pontifical charity Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA).

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time  (Year A) July 30 (1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52) 

What if we were offered the fulfillment of one wish? What would we choose? Our choice would say a lot about us and our values.

Do the letters BBAABA and the number 1,500 mean anything to you? Most likely not. But it’s my hope that they will stick in your mind. Unsettle you. Inspire you to think deeply, share your thoughts about them, take action if you can.  And pray.

Something that my faith has instilled in me is a simple phrase, “it is never too late.” No matter how bad things are, no matter what has happened — there is nothing and no one beyond redemption through the infinite love and mercy of God. It is, I think, a radical aspect of our faith. All that is required, we are told again and again, is to say “Yes” to the invitation to experience that love and mercy.

Walking down a city street, I overheard a real estate agent talking with a prospective buyer about a house on the street.  “And when that stone church on the other side gets made into a condominium, the home value will go up,” she reasoned to her customer.