Catholic News

• Jesus warns us against haste, self-centeredness, Pope preaches on World Day of the Poor (Vatican Press Office)
  “The poor person who begs for my love leads me straight to God,” Pope Francis preached during the Mass for the World Day of the Poor (video, booklet). “The poor facilitate our access to heaven: this is why the sense of the faith of God’s People has viewed them as the gatekeepers of heaven. Even now, they are our treasure, the treasure of the Church.”
• In wide-ranging address on criminal law, Pope laments 'idolatry of the market,' calls for environmental protection (Vatican Press Office)
  “It is no coincidence that sometimes emblems and actions typical of Nazism reappear,” the Pope told members of the International Association of Penal Law. The Pope referred to Nazi “persecution of Jews, gypsies, people of homosexual orientation” as “the quintessential negative model of the culture of rejection and hatred.”
• Grand Imam of Al-Azhar meets with Pope Francis at Vatican (Vatican Press Office)
  During his February apostolic journey to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam, regarded by many Sunni Muslims as the highest religious authority, signed Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. On November 15, members of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity met with the Pope and the Grand Imam at the Vatican.
• Become 'agents of peace and witnesses of hope in a future of salvation and resurrection,' Pope tells pilgrims (Zenit)
  During his November 17 Sunday Angelus address (video), Pope Francis reflected on Luke 21:5-19, the Gospel reading of the day.
• Pope Francis: 'Move the deacons away from the altar' (Vatican News)
  In an address to participants in a Vatican conference on the laity’s identity and mission, Pope Francis extemporaneously “warned against the danger of what he termed as ‘clericalizing the laity,’” according to Vatican News. “Sometimes, he said, permanent deacons, who are to be the custodians of service in dioceses, soon find themselves ‘looking at the altar’ and end up as ‘wannabe priests.’ Work with the laity but don’t clericalize them, the Pope said. ‘Move the deacons away from the altar … They are the custodians of service, not first-class altar boys or second-class priests.’”
• Pope speaks to Havana's people of faith, charity, and hope on city's 500th anniversary (Vatican Press Office)
  “Faith is at the roots of the city,” Pope Francis said in his Spanish-language video. “Do not forget those roots, the testimony of faith of your ancestors. The founding act of the city of Havana was the celebration of Holy Mass. Therein lies the centrality of Christian life: in the Eucharist, the sacrament that brings us Christians together as a people in the presence of the Lord Who speaks to us, nourishes us, and sends us to be witnesses in the midst of the world. Witnesses of the Gospel.”
• As Vatican children's hospital celebrates 150th anniversary, Pope blesses hands of doctors, nurses (Vatican News)
  Pope Francis spoke of the “moral authority of sick and suffering children” during his audience with persons associated with the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (video).
• Pope addresses 'words of friendship' to Japanese people as visit approaches (Vatican News)
  “Your country is well aware of the suffering caused by war,” Pope Francis said in a video message released before his apostolic journey to Thailand and Japan. “Together with you, I pray that the destructive power of nuclear weapons will never be unleashed again in human history. The use of nuclear weapons is immoral.”
• Experienced Vatican diplomat named new nuncio at United Nations (Holy See Mission)
  Following the conclusion of Archbishop Bernardito Auza’s five-year term, Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. The 61-year-old Milan priest was a leading official of the Secretariat of State (Assessor for General Affairs, 2002-09) before becoming apostolic nuncio to Lebanon (2009-17) and the Philippines (2017-19).
• Jury orders pro-life investigator to pay Planned Parenthood $870,000 for exposing aborted baby part sales (LifeNews.com)
  “While top Planned Parenthood witnesses spent six weeks testifying under oath that the undercover videos are true and Planned Parenthood sold fetal organs on a quid pro quo basis, a biased judge with close Planned Parenthood ties spent six weeks trying to influence the jury with pre-determined rulings and suppressed the video evidence,” said David Daleiden. “This is a dangerous precedent for citizen journalism and First Amendment civil rights across the country, sending a message that speaking truth and facts to criticize the powerful is no longer protected by our institutions.”
• Jesuit martyr beatified in Ecuador (Zenit)
  Blessed Emilio Moscoso was martyred during the Revolution of 1895.
• Pope blesses palace given to homeless on the doorstep of the Vatican (Crux)
  “I asked a construction company to let the homeless workers do the renovation,” said Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner. “They agreed a bit hesitantly but then they were so happy with their work, they decided to hire those people.”
• New York bishops meet Pope at end of 'ad limina' visits (CNS)
  “It was intense, in terms of the painful situations we shared,” said Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany, referring to the sexual abuse of minors. “What was heartwarming was how you could tell that Pope Francis was listening with his heart, and he expressed his gratitude realizing that we are in difficult situations where there is lots of pain and expressed great admiration for the work that’s been done.”
• Sexually abused as a child, Minnesota diocese's judicial vicar feels revictimized by attorney's disclosure (Duluth News-Tribune)
  In 1993, Father Joseph Richards, who was abused by an uncle, had a conversation with his bishop in which he “admitted to inappropriately touching a 5-year-old when he was 14,” according to the report. Bishop Michael Hoeppner of Crookston, who is under Vatican investigation for his handling of an abuse allegation, said he has no plans to remove the priest from ministry; parishioners interviewed in the article support the priest as well.
• 1,500 poor people have lunch with Pope (Vatican News)
  The lunch took place on November 17, the World Day of the Poor.
• Cape Verde's president meets with Pope (Vatican Press Office (Italian))
  Located in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa, the nation of 570,000 (map) is 77% Catholic and 5% Protestant.
• Pope invites impoverished pilgrims at Lourdes to become Christians, live out the sacraments (Vatican News)
  “You, who are at the foot of the cross, perhaps alone, isolated, abandoned, homeless, expelled from your family or from your country, victims of alcohol, prostitution, be aware that God loves you,” the Pope said in his video message to the participants in the Fratello Gathering 2019. “God listens to your prayer in particular.”
• Archbishop Scicluna: be prepared for new revelations (Crux)
  Speaking at a conference held at the University of Notre Dame, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta warned that Catholics should be prepared for more shocking revelations about clerical misconduct. The archbishop works with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in handling sex-abuse cases.
• 'Wisdom,' 'covenant,' 'outgoing': Pope encourages work of Focolare's university (Zenit)
  Located in Loppiano, Italy, the Sophia University Institute began to offer courses in 2008. The Focolare Movement was founded during World War II by the Servant of God Chiara Lubich (1920-2008).
• Mozambique's bishops defend prelate against accusations of racism, inciting violence (Vatican News)
  Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa, 63, entered the Passionist order in 1977 and was named a bishop in 2013.
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