Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni Church, an Indian-Mughal style Catholic church in Medan, Indonesia. / Credit: MarlonH/Shutterstock Rome Newsroom, Apr 15, 2024 / 15:15 pm (CNA). Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia later this year has now been announced by the Vatican, and the Indonesian government has confirmed that the country will be the first destination in the 87-year-old pontiff’s apostolic journey to the Asia Pacific region, scheduled to take place Sept. 2–13. The anticipated 11-day international trip will be the longest voyage of Pope Francis’ pontificate. Following his visit to Indonesia, t ..read more

Approximately 1,000 people have been working daily on the restoration of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, France. / Credit: Sumit Surai, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 15, 2024 / 14:45 pm (CNA). On April 15, 2019, Paris witnessed one of the most devastating tragedies in its recent history. Notre Dame Cathedral, a religious, architectural, and cultural symbol that had withstood the passage of time, was engulfed in flames. The fire, which originated in the space under the roof, quickly spread through the wooden rafters of the attic loaded with centuries of history ..read more

null / Quisquilia/Shutterstock Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 15, 2024 / 15:45 pm (CNA). A Catholic priest who serves at St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Amarillo, Texas, was pepper-sprayed while hearing confessions last week, according to a statement from the parish. The parish said in a statement on Facebook that “someone dealing with mental health issues” sprayed rector Father Tony Neusch with the irritant while he was hearing confessions. Police are investigating the incident. It’s unclear whether officers have identified a suspect at this time. “I am okay and do not require medical atten ..read more

On April 8, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a highly anticipated declaration on the theme of human dignity. To help make sense of this new document, America’s “Inside the Vatican” podcast hosted a roundtable with host Colleen Dulle, editor in chief Sam Sawyer, S.J., and Michael O’Loughlin, the executive director of Outreach, a resource for L.G.B.T. Catholics. This transcript of their conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Link to article: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/04/15/dignitas-infinitas-lgbt-catholics-reactions-247704?utm_so ..read more

Jesuit Father William J. Byron, known for his leadership of Jesuit institutions of higher learning and his many years of lecturing, teaching and writing on the relationship between business practices and Catholic spirituality, died at Manresa Hall, the health center of the Jesuit community at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia April 9. He was 96. Byron was a former president of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, 1975-1982, and The Catholic University of America in Washington, 1982-1992. He spent a year as acting president of Loyola University New Orleans, 2003-2004, and served ..read more

The joy of Eastertide has turned to shock and bewilderment across Sydney’s Catholic community in the wake of a deadly knife attack at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping center April 13, in which seven people were killed and a dozen injured, including a nine-month-old baby. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney joined fellow Australians in mourning the victims, in remarks made at Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral on April 14, the day after the attack, which was by coincidence the Day of the Unborn Child, one of Sydney’s biggest pro-life commemorations. “At a time of universal grief and horror at the ..read more

The morning after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, Pope Francis pleaded with nations to avoid a further escalation of the violence. “I make a heartfelt appeal for a halt to any action that might fuel a spiral of violence with the risk of dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict,” the pope said April 14 after reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer with visitors in St. Peter’s Square. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Iran launched 330 exploding drones and missiles at Israeli military facilities late April 13 and early April 14. The vast majority of ..read more

Despite the disaster, except for the main altar, all the works of art in the cathedral and the reliquary containing the crown of thorns were rescued and safely stored in different places. On April 15, 2019, Paris witnessed one of the most devastating tragedies in its recent history. Notre Dame Cathedral, a religious, architectural, and cultural symbol that had withstood the passage of time, was engulfed in flames. The fire, which originated in the space under the roof, quickly spread through the wooden rafters of the attic loaded with centuries of history and flammable material. The flam ..read more

Parishes in the city have faced sustained challenges in recent years, the archdiocese said. The Archdiocese of Baltimore has announced the details of its major parish merger plan, one that will merge 61 parishes in the episcopate’s titular city into 21 parishes.  The archdiocese said on its website on Sunday that its Seek the City to Come initiative “has entered its public comment phase,” with the plan set to address “investment and ministries, the realignment of parish communities designed to offer a strong sense of belonging for all, and the merging of parish campuses.” The plan ..read more

In essence, the fluid and practical atheism, Cardinal Sarah said, seeks ‘a compromise between truth and lies. This is the major temptation of our time.’ A subset of Church leaders have aligned themselves with modern-day values in the name of a “contemporary culture” that is akin to paganism, Cardinal Robert Sarah said in an address in Cameroon last week. Sarah, who was addressing members of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon(NECC) on April 9, said the Church was experiencing what he described as “practical atheism.” “Many Western prelates are tetanized [paralyzed] by the idea ..read more