News & Commentary
Chinese diocese donates masks to Vatican to fight COVID-19
A Catholic diocese in China’s Shaanxi province has donated thousands of face masks to communities in the Vatican and Italy to help them fight the coronavirus.
Pope entrusts world threatened by COVID-19 to Mary
Pope Francis entrusted to Jesus’ mother the suffering and anguish of millions of people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Holy sites closed after COVID-19 reports
JERUSALEM (CNS) — The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem urged its faithful to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health, following its order March 5 to close all schools, universities, mosques and churches, including the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd’s Field.
The affected areas were in the West Bank: Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and Jericho for 14 days following seven reported cases of the coronavirus in the Bethlehem and Beit Jala area.
Italian doctors: Staff overwhelmed during pandemic
Doctors working in the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy have launched an appeal in a major medical journal warning the outbreak in their province is out of control.
Amid COVID-19 pandemic, pope prays for homeless
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — During his live-streamed daily morning Mass, Pope Francis prayed that the coronavirus pandemic may awaken people’s consciences to the plight of homeless men and women suffering in the world.
During pandemic, priests bridge distance between deceased, family
When Father Mario Carminati went to bless the remains of one of his parishioners, he called the deceased man’s daughter on WhatsApp so they could pray together.
Contamination of water poses long-term hazards to communities, environment
The biblical author of Proverbs advises, “Drink water from your own cistern; flowing water from your own well.” But in the centuries before Jesus Christ’s birth when these verses were written, water pollution from chemicals and artificial contaminants was unknown.