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Washington D.C., Mar 19, 2020 / 02:30 pm (CNA).- The lieutenant governor of Washington announced on Thursday that he will not seek re-election and instead will enter the Society of Jesus this autumn.  Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib (D), 38, will end his eight-year career in public office after what he described as “two years of careful and prayerful discernment” led him to apply to join the Jesuits. Habib, who was elected lieutenant governor in 2016, is the highest-ranking Iranian-American elected official in the United States.  As his discernment process was “almost entirely private,” Habib said that he expected many of his constituents and supporters would find his decision to be a “major surprise,” particularly he was considered by many to have a bright political future. “Many will be w...

This morning’s General Audience was held at 9:30 am from the Library of the Apostolic Vatican Palace. Continuing with the series of catecheses on the Beatitudes, in his address in Italian the Pope focused his meditation on the seventh: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). After summarizing his catechesis in several languages, the Holy Father expressed special greetings to the faithful. Then he made an appeal for the celebration of the next 24 Hours for the Lord (March 20-21, 2020). The Audience ended with the Apostolic Blessing. * * * The Holy Father’s Catechesis  Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! Today we pause on the <seventh> Beatitude, which says: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). There is a partic...

Lourdes, France, Mar 17, 2020 / 05:30 am (CNA).- The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes has closed for the first time in over a century following new restrictions in France to slow the spread of the coronavirus. “For the first time in its history, the sanctuary will close its doors for a while. Pray with us the novena to the Immaculate,” Mgr. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, rector of the Lourdes sanctuary announced March 17. No public Masses will be offered in the sanctuary due to national measures announced by French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron on the evening of March 16. France is the third European country to enact a mandatory national quarantine in response to the growing number of cases of COVID-19. Italy and Spain have both imposed nationwide lockdowns, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel a...

Rome, Italy, Mar 16, 2020 / 03:20 pm (CNA).- At least ten priests have died in Italy after contracting COVID-19. More than half of them were from the Diocese of Bergamo, a town outside of Milan in Lombardy. The bishop of Bergamo, the Italian diocese hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak, said Monday that the 20 priests in his diocese who have been hospitalized after contracting coronavirus have shown considerable improvement and six others have died. “The number of priests who have died this week and that of those who are still in a particularly serious situation is very high,” Bishop Francesco Beschi of Bergamo said in an Italian radio interview March 16. “We are living this pain by sharing it with that of our communities together with the number of infected people, the sick and a high ...

Pope Francis received in a private audience members of the Bishops’ Conference of France during their “Ad Limina” visit, March 9, 2020. They were seated one meter apart, as a precaution, as Italy continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus. (Vatican Media.) “May this time of trial be an opportunity to pray, especially for the sick, frail, and for health personnel,” Bishop Delmas said. Courtney Mares/CNA. VATICAN CITY — A French bishop who visited the Vatican last week has tested positive for coronavirus, his diocese announced Monday. Bishop Emmanuel Delmas of Angers tested positive for COVID-19 on the evening of March 15. The Diocese of Angers said in a statement March 16 that the bishop first experienced symptoms during his time in Rome. Bishop Delmas was ...

This interim guidance is intended for organizers and staff responsible for planning mass gatherings or large community events in the United States. A mass gathering is a planned or spontaneous event with a large number of people in attendance that could strain the planning and response resources of the community hosting the event, such as a concert, festival, conference, or sporting event. Guidance specific to schools and childcare settings, institutions of higher education, and community- and faith-based organizations can be found on CDC’s website focused on prevention COVID-19 spread in communities. COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory disease and there is more to learn about its transmission, clinical course, and populations at increased risk of disease and complications (see How COVID-1...

Vatican City, Mar 14, 2020 / 04:56 pm (CNA).- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis’ liturgies for Holy Week and Easter, which usually include the presence of thousands of people, will be held without public attendance this year. According to an online notice from the Prefecture of the Papal Household, “because of the current global public health emergency, all the Liturgical Celebrations of Holy Week will take place without the physical presence of the faithful.” The Prefecture of the Papal Household is the office responsible for distributing the free of charge tickets which grant pilgrims access to Pope Francis’ general audiences and other public liturgies. Pope Francis’ schedule for Holy Week begins April 5 with Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square. The schedule proceeds with ...

Rome, Italy, Mar 13, 2020 / 06:00 am (CNA).- Less than one day after the Diocese of Rome issued a decree to close all churches to the public, the vicar general revised the decree Friday saying he will leave this decision to the discretion of parish priests. “Every ecclesial precautionary measure must take into account not only the common good of civil society, but also of that unique and precious good which is faith, especially that of the least ones,” Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, vicar general of Rome, wrote in the revision issued March 13. The vicar general explained that banning access to all churches in the diocese for three weeks could create “a greater sense of insecurity” among Catholics during this time of crisis. The decree “is therefore modified, placing the ultimate responsibilit...

Rome, Italy, Mar 12, 2020 / 01:15 pm (CNA).- The vicar general of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, announced Thursday the closure of all churches in the diocese through April 3. Since March 9 public Masses have been canceled throughout the diocese, but churches had remained open for personal prayer, and some had held Eucharistic adoration or confession. Starting from the decree’s publication March 12, entrance to the parish and other churches of Rome is forbidden to the general public and to lay Catholics. Cardinal De Donatis said “we remember that this arrangement is for the common good. We welcome the Words of Jesus that tells us ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them.'” “In this time, even more so, our homes are Domestic Chu...

Cardinal George Pell outside court, 2019. (AFP/Getty) While lawyers argued inside, more than 100 Vietnamese Catholics lined the entrance to the High Court, praying and singing hymns, and aiming to show their support for Cardinal Pell. CANBERRA, Australia — The legal team for Cardinal George Pell laid out their case for appeal before Australia’s High Court Wednesday. Cardinal Pell himself remained in his prison cell, not permitted at the proceedings, while his lawyers presented arguments before the seven-judge court in Canberra March 11.  Cardinal Pell is seeking to appeal the 2-1 split decision of the Court of Appeal in Victoria to sustain his 2018 conviction on five counts of child sexual abuse over two separate instances. Bret Walker, Cardinal Pell’s lead barrister, faced ...

Vatican City, Mar 10, 2020 / 06:29 am (CNA).- The Italian police closed St. Peter’s Square Tuesday following the Italian government decree extending quarantine measures to all of Italy to slow the spread of coronavirus. The Italian authorities have jurisdiction over the square, which they closed shortly before noon on March 10. Italian police told CNA the square is closed and no one may enter except for work purposes. Swiss guards at St. Peter’s Square confirmed to CNA that tourists and pilgrims are not allowed to enter the basilica to pray because if the square is closed the basilica is also “automatically” closed. One said they are waiting for more information. The Vatican City State has its own legal order that is autonomous and separate from the Italian legal system, but the Holy See P...

Image copyright EPA Image caption Italians have been ordered to stay at home in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus Italy has extended its emergency coronavirus measures, which include travel restrictions and a ban on public gatherings, to the entire country. On Monday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered people to stay home and seek permission for essential travel. He said the measures were designed to protect the most vulnerable. “There is no more time,” he said in a TV address. Italy’s coronavirus death toll jumped from 366 to 463 on Monday. It is the worst-hit country after China. The number of confirmed infection also increased by 24% from Sunday, official figures showed. Cases of the virus have been confirmed in all 20 Italian regions. What did Mr Conte ...