The rise of Wilton Gregory, America’s first African-American cardinal (The New York Times)He has been a national figure since 2002, when, as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he presided over the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy toward priests guilty of sexual abuse. He was elevated from his position as the bishop of Belleville, Ill., to lead the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 2005 before Francis installed him in Washington last year.In recent months, Archbishop Gregory has pushed for better race relations in the church, saying it was important that young Black Catholics see church leaders who look like them…

Pope Francis names new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (CNA) Pope Francis named Italian Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa as the new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Saturday. Pizzaballa has served as apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem since 2016, while the office of Latin Patriarch has remained vacant…

Catholic couple finds solidarity with others with sharing NFP challenges (CNS) Actively living out their Catholic faith as individuals and a couple — following the church’s teachings on natural family planning in particular — has sometimes been challenging for Nick and Emily Frase. But for Nick, who grew up in the Diocese of Superior, the lesson that being a faithful Catholic wouldn’t always come easy was built into his formation. Strength in their faith and the support of a solid Christian community has guided the couple through trying times…

Catholic churches get creative with Christmas fairs under COVID (Maine Times Record) During the pandemic, several Maine Catholic parishes are planning to offer creative Christmas fairs while following state guidelines under COVID. These events include outdoor bazaars, virtual fairs and tree festivals…

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