Spiritual Life>

JPII's Theology of the Body
Is Transformative, Scholar Says
WASHINGTON, DC, April 24, 2014 -- The canonization of Saint John Paul II gives new impetus to his “ground-breaking” theology of the body, which has the potential to “completely transform” contemporary culture, one theology professor says.

Benedict XVI: I Knew During His Life
That John Paul II Was a Saint
ROME, April 23, 2014 -- In a rare interview, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI recalled his close friendship with Blessed John Paul II, saying that the pontiff’s sanctity and deep spirituality were apparent during his life.

Pope Francis:
Be Courageous...
Go to Confession!
VATICAN, Feburary 19, 2014(Vatican Radio) At the General Audience, Pope Francis continued his series of catechesis on the Sacraments. “When I go to Confession, it is to be healed,” he said. “To heal the soul, to heal the heart because of something I have done that is not going well.”

CCG Commentary:
Pope Gets to the Essence
Of the New Evangelization
SAN FRANCISCO, October 20, 2013 -- If we limited ourselves to reading headlines in the mainstream media about Pope Francis’ interview published in America, one could have formed the impression that he was directing the faithful to stop promoting the truth about marriage in the public square.

Pope Francis' Principles
for Cultural Change

Humility Is Necessary for Fruitfulness
Emphasizes Pope
VATICAN CITY, December 19, 2013 -- “Humility is necessary for faithfulness,” said the Pontiff on Dec. 19. “The humility to say to the Lord, ‘Lord, I am barren, I am a desert’ ...come to give us life, come to save us, because only You can. Alone, I cannot!”

‘Evangelii Gaudium’: Pope Francis’
Blueprint for Evangelization
LOUISVILLE, KY, December 3, 2013  — Pope Francis is moving fast to advance his “dream of … a missionary impulse, capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world.”

Thinking about the Pope at
the U.S. Bishops’ meeting
BALTIMORE, November 15, 2013 -- "It’s not only that many of our neighbors don’t share the Church’s beliefs on fundamental issues such as abortion, sexuality and marriage. This is true and troubling. But those issues are signs of deeper troubles. They are signs that our society has turned away from God to embrace what Pope Francis calls the “idols” of a materialist view of the world." - Archbishop Jose Gomez

Confession Renews
The Grace of Baptism
VATICAN, November 13, 2013  – In the catechesis of this Wednesday's general audience, the Pope continued his reflection on the articles of the Creed. This time he spoke about the only explicit reference to a Sacrament in the profession of faith: “I believe in one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins”. In effect, Baptism is the “door” to faith and Christian life, and the mission of the Church, following the mandate of the Risen Christ is “to evangelise and to forgive the sins through Sacramental Baptism”. To better explain this expression, the Pontiff divided it into three points: “I believe”, “in one Baptism”, and “for the forgiveness of sins”.

Bishops Extend Initiative for
Life, Marriage, Religious Liberty
BALTIMORE, MD, November 12, 2013 -- The U.S. bishops have voted overwhelmingly to continue their “Call to Prayer” aimed at the promotion of life, marriage and religious freedom.

The Knots of
The Pastor Bergoglio
ROME, October 29, 2013 -- He was the one who imported from Germany to Argentina the devotion to the Blessed Mother “untier of knots.” To his studies he preferred the care of souls. And today he is doing the same: he is leaving to others the exposition of doctrine. As in the case of communion for the divorced and remarried.

Another Lesson from Francis
On Evangelization of Culture
Avoid Reducing the Faith
To 'Moralistic' Ideology
VATICAN, October 17, 2013 -- During his daily Mass homily Pope Francis reflected on the dangers of following one's own personal, “moralistic” ideology, stressing the importance of prayer in staying open to God.

Meaning of Catholic- the Universality of the Church
Pope Francis: Pursuit of Uniformity
Erodes the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
VATICAN, October 9, 2013 – The Holy Father dedicated the catechesis of today's general audience to catholicism and the concept of being Catholic. He explained three fundamental meanings of the idea, based on the Greek “kath'olon”, “totality”, and how these can be applied to the Church.

'Little Flower' Artifacts
Draw Faithful Closer to St. Thérèse
WASHINGTON, DC, October 5, 2013  -- As a weathered wooden writing desk tours the U.S., its drawers stained black with century-old ink, its presence helps bring the faithful closer to the saint who used it to pen “Story of a Soul” –  Thérèse of Lisieux.