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The cardinal emphasized that the “real novelty of this declaration” is “the invitation to distinguish between two different forms of blessings: ‘liturgical or ritualized’ and ‘spontaneous or pastoral.’” “The central theme … is to have a broader understanding of blessings and of the proposal that these pastoral blessings, which do not require the same conditions as blessings in a liturgical or ritual context, flourish. Consequently, leaving polemics aside, the text requires an effort to reflect serenely, with the heart of shepherds, free from all ideology,” he said. The DDF’s press release says that the same-sex blessing declaration may require more time for its application “depending on local contexts and the discernment of each diocesan bishop with his diocese.” “In some places, no diffic...

By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Jan 3, 2024 / 11:08 am An Italian priest has been excommunicated by his local bishop for saying in a homily that Pope Francis “is not the pope” and calling him “a usurper.” The Diocese of Livorno in Tuscany issued a decree on Jan. 1 notifying Catholics that Father Ramon Guidetti “publicly committed a schismatic act” during Mass and has ipso facto incurred “latae sententiae excommunication,” or an automatic excommunication. Bishop Simone Giusti informed his diocese that Catholics are not to attend any Masses offered by the excommunicated priest or they would also “incur the very serious penalty of excommunication.” The bishop cited Canon 751, which defines schism as “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members ...

By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Jan 2, 2024 / 11:10 am Jimmy Lai, the embattled Hong Kong Catholic democracy activist, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to all charges leveled against him in his national security trial there.  Lai, the Chinese-born founder of the anti-government newspaper Apple Daily, entered a not-guilty plea to the charges of conspiring to collude with a foreign power. The 76-year-old Lai was originally arrested in August 2020 under that year’s controversial national security law, which was passed by China’s communist-controlled government. He has been imprisoned by Chinese authorities since his arrest. Prosecutor Anthony Chau on Tuesday accused Lai of being a “radical figure” who sought to sow hatred and “stir up opposition” in Hong Kong, according to media reports.&nb...

“Marveling always brings us to tenderness,” the pope said, noting that “tenderness is beautiful in marriage.”  Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus on Dec. 31, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media Francis also recommended marveling at the miracle of life by taking time to play with children. In his customary off-the-cuff fashion, he shared that, on a phone call yesterday, he had asked a friend where she was. She told him she was at the park, on a walk with her children.  “This is good parenting,” the pope said.   More in Vatican Pope Francis also said that instead of shutting grandparents out of our lives, families should marvel at their wisdom by listening to their stories.  “Grandparents bring us back to what is essential,” Francis said.&...

Some parishes see protests to ‘uniform’ Mass  At Little Flower Parish in Perumanoor, India, the choir stopped singing during Christmas Mass when the priest turned to face the altar (according to the synodal Mass format). The priest finally continued celebrating the Mass facing the people in the style of Mass followed in the archdiocese for more than 60 years. “The priest had been emphatically told by the people that they will not allow the synodal Mass, and that is why the choir protested,” Riju Kanjookaran of the Laity Movement of the Ernakulam Archdiocese told CNA on Dec. 27. St. Joseph’s Parish in Thannipuzha witnessed a worse scene on the morning of Dec. 27 when the priest was stopped from saying the synodal Mass. A few of those who supported him were evicted by the poli...

“Until we cut off the supply in terms of sponsorship, we may never be able to see the end of this,” Mutfwang said. THIS INDEED HAS BEEN A GORY CHRISTMAS FOR US” We have had to celebrate Christmas with a heavy heart. Unprovokeded attacks were unleashed on several of our communities. Most of the communities attacked in Barkin Ladi share Borders with Bokkos Local Government. We have not less… pic.twitter.com/6d0IXNZd2B — Caleb Mutfwang (@CalebMutfwang) December 26, 2023 Sean Nelson, a religious-rights attorney with the law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), told CNA that “whole villages” were razed and hundreds more Christians are now displaced because of the attacks, which he said were motivated by the Fulani tribe’s “hatred of Christians” and “desire to take land.” Nelson, who closely f...

In the biblical account of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, and the fall of man, the progenitors thought the serpent to be benign. But, the pope warned, the devil is a master tactician and shapeshifter who was able to instill doubt, which was veiled as “wicked gossip.” At the same time Pope Francis noted that we ought to think of the tree of knowledge not as a “prohibition” imposed by God on “the use of reason” but rather as his way of introducing a “measure of wisdom.” In this way God is signaling to us to be cognizant of our limits so we do not falsely believe that we “are the master[s] of everything, because pride is the beginning of all evil.”  The pope noted that in the biblical account, the prohibition imposed on Adam and Eve of eating from that tree was God’s way of “preserv[i...