The Catholic Church has a special devotion to the Blessed Mother of Jesus. Mary is recognized a model of faith and discipleship for all Christians to imitate. When Jesus, from the cross, entrusted the Apostle, St. John, with the care of His mother, Catholics believe that Mary became our mother as well. Catholics do not worship Mary or consider her to be a goddess. Catholics recognize that mothers can have great influence over their children, and as such, we pray to Mary to intercede with her Son on our behalf.

May crowning

During the month of May, it is a tradition in the Church to honor Mary, our mother, by placing crowns of spring blossoms on the head of a statue that depicts her image, wherein the participants give thanks to Mary for bringing Jesus into the world, and pray for her guidance along the path that will lead to her Son. Read more

Choice to refuse life-extending treatment differs from suicide

In the context of a widespread prevailing medical and social praxis that endanger that value of life perennially defended by the Catholic Church, it can be useful to offer some reflections on end-of-life issues, specifically on the difference between refusing extraordinary measures and suicide (both doctor-assisted and ‘autonomous’).

A convention held recently at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome on bioethics and end-of-life issues highlighted a number of fields where the Catholic perspective is in sharp conflict with either current medical practice, and trends threatening to go beyond de facto practice silently occurring between doctor, patient, and relatives in hospitals across the world, to become legislated practices, endorsed by law. One such field merits perhaps special attention, due to the likelihood that a given individual is to come across such a situation in the course of his or her life: the moral question regarding the refusal of possibly life-extending treatment, and the ensuing questions of whether this constitutes suicide, or differs moreover from the refusal of food and water. Read more

Colosseum hosts exhibit on 1,700th anniversary of Edict of Milan

The Roman Colosseum is the 39th most visited monument in the world. Four million visitors a year enjoy tales of blood and gore, but this spring the monument has taken on a new guise. A new exhibition, “Constantine,” held at the Colosseum, celebrates the 1,700th anniversary of religious liberty, awarded to Rome by the man held to be the first Christian emperor.

Tucked away on the second floor, under the seating and away from the arena, a surprising array of objects recounts the tale of Rome in the fourth century, on the eve of its complete conversion in 385. The exhibition began in Milan and celebrated the February anniversary a stone’s throw from where Emperors Constantine and Licinius signed the edict that did away with imperial persecutions and put the Christians on equal footing with the other religions of the empire. By the end of the century, Emperor Theodosius would declare the Roman Empire completely Christian. Read more

Administering the sacrament of confirmation to 44 people, including two teenagers from the US and two from Ireland, Pope Francis encouraged them to “swim against the tide; it’s good for the heart.”

In a partially-improvised homily at Mass April 28 in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis encouraged young people to hang on to their ideals and pursue them. “We Christians weren’t chosen by the Lord to do little things,” he said.

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Love them or loathe them, many women have at some point flipped through the fashion and celebrity magazines that accost grocery shoppers at checkout lines.

From images of scantily clad women with airbrushed bodies and promises to provide readers with “Ten tips to get your guy back” and “The skinny on why you’re fat,” the glossy magazines catch many an eye.

While they may contain a few tasty recipes or fun fashion trends, most readers are apt to find little of substance within the pages. Read more

An April 5 decision by a New York federal judge to lift age limits on purchases of over-the-counter emergency contraceptives should be “appealed and overturned,” according to an official of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB).

“No public health consideration justifies the unregulated distribution of such drugs to children,” said Deirdre McQuade, spokeswoman for the USCCB’s Secretariat for Pro Life Activities.

“Many studies have shown that wider access to ‘emergency contraception’ among young people does not reduce pregnancy or abortion rates, but can contribute to higher rates of sexually transmitted disease,” she said in a statement. Read more

Each month, Pope Francis announces his special prayer intentions—particular things that he wishes all Catholics to pray for that month.

May 2013

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The heads of two committees of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged Congress in April 22 letters to both chambers to weigh decisions surrounding the budget by how they impact human life and dignity, serve “the least of these” and reflect government’s shared responsibility to protect the common good. The bishops’ letters followed Pres. Obama’s 2014 budget proposal. Read more

Abp. Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family and the official promoter of the sainthood cause of the late Abp. Oscar Romero of San Salvador, said the process to beatify and eventually canonize the slain Salvadoran archbishop has been unblocked.

Abp. Paglia, who has been the postulator of Abp. Romero’s cause for years, made the announcement in a homily April 20, just a few hours after meeting with Pope Francis. Read more

Whenever he’s in a crowd, Pope Francis kisses lots of children. The father of one special boy, who got a special kiss and embrace on Easter, has written a blog about the embrace and its meaning.

The boy, Dominic Gondreau, has cerebal palsy. He is spending several months in Rome with his parents and four siblings while his father, a professor of theology at Dominican-run Providence College in Providence, RI, serves as faculty resident director for students studying in Rome. Read more