The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said it welcomed a record number of catechumens and candidates during the annual Rite of Election at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
World
Two prominent Catholic cardinals have expressed their profound concern and sorrow over a recently announced decision by the Society of St. Pius X — which rejects the authority of the Second Vatican Council — to ordain bishops this summer without papal approval.
For the first time in eight centuries, the mortal remains of St. Francis of Assisi are being exposed for an extended period of public veneration, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world to pray before “the Little Poor Man of Assisi.”
As Lent begins, Catholic leaders across Eastern Africa are urging prayers — and action — for millions facing a deepening drought crisis.
Catholics going to Mass on Ash Wednesday will leave church marked, but whether the ashes appear as a bold cross on the forehead or sprinkled atop the head depends largely on where in the world they worship.
On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes — the Church’s World Day of the Sick — Bishop Stephen Jensen of Prince George called the people of northern British Columbia to prayer and penance following a mass school shooting that took place midday Feb. 10 in Tumbler Ridge.
The Italian hilltown of Assisi is anticipating a visit from Pope Leo XIV during the special Jubilee Year of St. Francis as the city celebrates the 800th anniversary of the death of its most famous saint.
Peruvians reacted with a mix of joy and anticipation after Church leaders said there is an “80% chance” Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru later this year, likely between November and early December.
The traditionalist Society of St. Pius X said it would proceed with the consecration of new bishops this summer, a move without a papal mandate that could lead to an automatic excommunication.
Thanks to a 17th-century Italian priest, skis made their way from their origin in Scandinavia to Central Europe.