Political events and news in effecting Catholics and Catholic concerns in Europe.
April 6, 2021
BERLIN -- Father Hans Küng, the prominent and sometimes controversial Swiss Catholic theologian, died peacefully in his sleep in the university town of Tübingen, Germany, where he had lived and lectured since 1960, said a spokesman for his Global Ethic Foundation. He was 93.
LONDON -- Police halted a Good Friday service after a complaint that pandemic regulations were not being met, leading the parish priest to complain that officers had "brutally exceeded their powers."
VATICAN CITY -- Three days after the preacher of the papal household called on Catholics to repent for the ways they are dividing the church, the Vatican secretary of state said the divisions are real and they are harmful.
VATICAN CITY -- The Easter season, which lasts until Pentecost, is a time for rejoicing and for always seeking out the risen Christ, Pope Francis said.
April 4, 2021
Despite the promise of spring in the air, the day had turned windy and blustery, cutting sharply through the heavy jacket I reserve for evenings such as these on the street.
VATICAN CITY -- The Easter liturgies -- with the fire, sharing of light from the paschal candle, the renewal of baptismal promises and the proclamation that Jesus has risen -- assure people that it is never too late to start again, Pope Francis said.
The following is the Easter message from Archbishop Richard Gagnon, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and Archbishop of Winnipeg:
Second Sunday of Easter, April 11 (Year B) Acts 4:32-25; Psalm 118; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31
The solutions to life’s problems are often quite simple and right in front of us.
April 3, 2021
On Easter Sunday, I will receive my first COVID vaccine. When I heard the date, it felt like an intrusion on the day of celebrating the resurrection of Our Lord. Upon reflecting about it for a while, I decided that receiving the vaccine was a fine way to mark the liturgical feast.
Lamb stew might not be typical Easter cuisine in North America, but for Elisa Pasini and her family it is an Italian delicacy steeped in tradition.