Catholic News Agency

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ACI Prensa's latest initiative is the Catholic News Agency (CNA), aimed at serving the English-speaking Catholic audience. ACI Prensa (www.aciprensa.com) is currently the largest provider of Catholic news in Spanish and Portuguese.
URL: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/
Updated: 7 hours 14 min ago

Pope urges priests to offer Confession and educate faithful on sin

7 hours 32 min ago
Vatican City, Mar 11, 2010 / 11:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Participants in this week's course on the hearing Confessions met with the Holy Father in audience on Thursday morning. To the group of priests, Pope Benedict XVI underlined the importance of guiding their flocks "not to conform itself to this world" and the necessity of opening a "dialogue of salvation" with those who seek forgiveness.

Apostolic Exhortation on Bible expected after Easter

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 23:31
Vatican City, Mar 10, 2010 / 06:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Following a press conference on Monday to present a new book, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic announced that Pope Benedict XVI will soon release an apostolic exhortation on the Bible. The exhortation will address themes presented at the most recent general assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

Bishops of Sudan discuss country's situation ahead of elections

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 21:33
Vatican City, Mar 10, 2010 / 04:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishops representing the nine dioceses of Africa's largest country are at the Vatican this week for their "ad Limina visit." Among the contemporary issues the bishops will discuss with Pope Benedict are the upcoming elections, keeping peace and addressing poverty.

Benedict XVI asks for generosity towards Turkey quake victims

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 19:40
Vatican City, Mar 10, 2010 / 02:40 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- At today's General Audience, the Holy Father remembered those affected by the earthquake in Turkey on Monday. He said he was "profoundly close" to those affected and urged worldwide support for them.

Hundreds of clergy expected for conference on priesthood in Rome

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 17:11
Vatican City, Mar 10, 2010 / 12:11 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Beginning Thursday a two-day international theological convention will take place at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. Focusing on the "Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of the Priest," the convention aims to shed light on priestly identity, the liturgy and celibacy.

Pope sends message of condolences to victims of Nigerian violence

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 16:38
Vatican City, Mar 10, 2010 / 11:38 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI remembered the victims of the recent sectarian violence in Nigeria during the General Audience at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Wednesday morning. The Holy Father defined the violence as "atrocious" and called for reconciliation in the country.

St. Bonaventure teaches Christians about being open to new charisms, Pope explains

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 16:14
Vatican City, Mar 10, 2010 / 11:14 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Holy Father returned to St. Bonaventure for the subject of his catechesis at the General Audience on Wednesday morning. This saint, he said, not only kept the Franciscan order together with his theology that accepted "newness" into the Church but also teaches modern Christians how to be open to new charisms in the Church.

Vatican daily comments on defeat of 'Avatar' at Oscars

Tue, 03/09/2010 - 18:03
Vatican City, Mar 9, 2010 / 01:03 pm (CNA).- L'Osservatore Romano (LOR) published article yesterday commenting on the Oscar win by Kathryn Bigelow as best director for her film "The Hurt Locker." The film took home five more Oscars than the box-office smash "Avatar," directed by James Cameron.

Vatican spokesman says European sex abuse cases being dealt with correctly

Tue, 03/09/2010 - 16:40
Vatican City, Mar 9, 2010 / 11:40 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican's spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi commented today on the decades-old sex abuses cases in several European countries that recently came to light and lauded the Church for its "transparency" and "timely and decisive action" in dealing with them. Fr. Lombardi also stressed that focusing just on the problem of sex abuse in the Church gives a "false perspective" on an issue that affects society at large.

Academy for Life member asks Vatican spokesman to correct previous statements

Tue, 03/09/2010 - 01:08
Rome, Italy, Mar 8, 2010 / 08:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a recent letter, Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) Member Christine de Vollmer asked Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi to issue a formal clarification of his recent comments characterizing a statement written by a group of PAV members as a call for the resignation of the Academy's president, Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

Vatican offers priests classes on sensitive confessions

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 20:35
Vatican City, Mar 8, 2010 / 03:35 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A course for young priests on the proper administration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation began Monday afternoon in the Vatican. The classes aim to prepare the priests for especially delicate matters that come up in the confessional.

Vatican voices support for investigation of German clerical sex abuse

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 19:54
Vatican City, Mar 8, 2010 / 02:54 pm (CNA).- "Enough! There needs to be a serious house cleaning in our Church. And the Pope is not just going to stand by and watch." These were the words of Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, that were printed in the pages of Italy's La Repubblica newspaper on Saturday.

Vatican renews call for protection of Christianity's origins

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 17:31
Vatican City, Mar 8, 2010 / 12:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Holy See has launched this year's Easter appeal for the support of Christians in the Holy Land. The call for support is accompanied by an exhortation to reinforce solidarity and preserve the "Christian origins" of the region.

True wisdom needed to understand suffering, Holy Father teaches

Sun, 03/07/2010 - 17:48
Vatican City, Mar 7, 2010 / 12:48 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Following his visit to the Roman parish of St. John of the Cross on Sunday, the Holy Father returned to the Apostolic Palace for the Angelus.  In his remarks, the Pope underscored the need to see suffering as an opportunity to bring about "a greater good."

Be living models of the Good Samaritan, Benedict XVI encourages volunteers

Sat, 03/06/2010 - 14:24
Vatican City, Mar 6, 2010 / 09:24 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Holy Father met with thousands of members of the Italian Civil Protection Service on Saturday in the Paul VI Hall. He commended their voluntary service in protection of the common good and the dignity of man, comparing their work to that of the Good Samaritan.

Elements of Western society reject grace in favor of independence, says papal preacher

Sat, 03/06/2010 - 07:01
Vatican City, Mar 6, 2010 / 02:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa gave his first of three Friday Lenten meditations this morning in the Redemptoris Mater chapel of the Apostolic Palace. He emphasized the importance and meaning of grace within the Church and warned of a tendency in the Western world to reject it.

Vatican paper looks at faith connection between saints and their mothers

Fri, 03/05/2010 - 21:20
Rome, Italy, Mar 5, 2010 / 04:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Italian historians are taking interest in the role mothers in transmitting faith to their sons. Referring to the examples of St. Jean Vianney, Popes Pius X and Paul VI, the Vatican newspaper suggests that this relationship is fundamental to religious vocations.

Pope Benedict calls for deeper Catholic culture in Uganda

Fri, 03/05/2010 - 19:49
Vatican City, Mar 5, 2010 / 02:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI met with the bishops of Uganda this morning in the Vatican on the occasion of their "ad Limina" visit to the Holy See. He urged them to be strong in renewing evangelization in the east African country and resisting "the seduction of a materialistic culture of individualism."

Meeting between Israel and Holy See postponed

Fri, 03/05/2010 - 19:33
Vatican City, Mar 5, 2010 / 02:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Plenary meeting planned between the Holy See and the State of Israel for May has been moved back. Talks have not been suspended, and the two sides have agreed to convene the meeting at a later date to "maximize" their time together.

Officials deny JPII beatification cause facing difficulties

Fri, 03/05/2010 - 17:57
Vatican City, Mar 5, 2010 / 12:57 pm (CNA).- A Polish daily published an article Thursday claiming that the beatification cause of John Paul II has hit a roadblock in regard to the miraculous healing of French nun who suffered from Parkinson's disease.