Fifth Sunday of Easter: On the vine
Acts 9:26-31 / Ps. 22:26-28, 30-3 / 2 Jn. 3:18-24 / Jn. 15:1-8 In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that he is the true vine that God intended Israel to be — the source of divine life and wisdom for the nations (see Sirach 24:17-24). In baptism, each of us was joined to him by the […]
What happened when I ‘sought first the kingdom’
One of my favorite themes is the vocation of the artist. In fact, I’ve been working on a book about how my life came to be ordered to art: part memoir, part invitation, part supplication to up-and-coming writers. In a nutshell, my message is this: Figure out a way to earn a humane living, write […]
Arizona House votes to repeal state’s near-total protections for unborn children
Arizona’s Republican-controlled House voted April 24 to repeal the state’s 1864 law banning abortion recently upheld by that state’s Supreme Court. Republicans in the state Senate recently allowed that chamber to proceed to a repeal vote, meaning that chamber could soon follow suit. Should the state Senate do so the following week, Democratic Gov. Katie […]
Biden signs $95 billion aid package critical for Ukraine’s defense, global humanitarian needs
President Joe Biden on April 24 said the U.S. will begin sending military aid to Ukraine within “the next few hours” after he signed legislation sent to him by Congress approving $95 billion in foreign aid to provide weapons and support to key U.S. allies including Ukraine and Israel — as well as billions in […]
Pope calls for peace in Gaza and Ukraine, laments plight of children in war in CBS interview
Pope Francis sat down exclusively with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell on April 24 for an interview ahead of the Vatican’s inaugural World Children’s Day. The CBS interview marks the first time a pope has given an in-depth, one-on-one interview to a U.S. broadcast network, according to the network. In the brief portion of […]
Pope Francis may visit United States in September after UN invitation
Pope Francis is reportedly considering returning to the United States in September to speak before the United Nations General Assembly. The news was initially reported by the French Catholic newspaper La Croix and has not yet been officially confirmed by the Vatican. A source from the Vatican Secretariat of State, meanwhile, told CNA this week […]
We need a St. Frances Cabrini to address our dementia crisis
A disturbing bill proposing to expand physician-assisted killing in California has, at least for now, been withdrawn. If it were to have become law, the Golden State would have followed Canada in expanding the practice to include those in merely a “grievous and irremediable medical condition” — in other words, not dying. Significantly, the proposed […]
For 20 years, LA archdiocese has changed its approach to abuse prevention
Addressing students during the school’s morning Mass on April 12, Father Michael Wakefield, pastor at St. Francis de Sales Church in Sherman Oaks, relayed a story about a woman who inquired about the healing garden along the parish’s outside wall. “Is this only for those who were abused as children?” she asked. “No, not at […]
Columbia University’s Catholic chaplain says anti-Semitism must be stopped’
Amid pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University that have led to more than 100 arrests, forced classes online, and left Jewish students and faculty feeling unsafe and unwelcome, the university’s Catholic chaplain says the path forward “must first ensure that such malevolent protests, brimming with anti-Semitism, be stopped.” “The solution is going to require prioritizing among […]
Pope meets head of Cisco as AI ethics pact continues to grow
Pope Francis met briefly with Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems — the U.S. digital communications conglomerate — after Robbins signed on to the “Rome Call for AI Ethics,” a project coordinated by the Pontifical Academy for Life. Artificial Intelligence “is no longer a topic just for experts, and reflecting on the ethics of its […]