Pope Francis establishes new lay ministry: catechist (CNA) Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter Tuesday formally instituting the new lay ministry of catechist. The Vatican released the papal letter, Antiquum ministerium (“Ancient ministry”), on May 11 in eight languages, including Italian Sign Language. The pope said that the institution of the new lay ministry would “emphasize even more the missionary commitment proper to every baptized person, a commitment that must however be carried out in a fully ‘secular’ manner, avoiding any form of clericalization…”

German parishes defy Vatican, hold same-sex blessings (The New York Times)More than 100 Roman Catholic parishes in Germany offered blessings to gay couples on Monday in defiance of church teaching and their own bishops. The call for nationwide blessings came in response to a decree issued by the Vatican on March 15, reinforcing the church’s prohibition of priests asking for God’s benevolence for gay couples, stating that God “does not and cannot bless sin…”

CDF writes to USCCB about politics and communion (CNA) The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wrote Friday to the head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding admission to Communion, affirming the centrality of the congregation’s 2002 note on Catholic’s participation in politics and the importance of safeguarding the rights of ordinaries in their local Churches…

Women religious speak out against voter suppression (CNS) The Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the National Black Sisters Conference issued a joint statement May 5 on the importance of ensuring that all people enjoy the right to vote “regardless of their race, zip code, economic status or party affiliation.” “As women of faith and faithful Americans, we believe that all people have the right and obligation to participate fully in our democracy,” the sisters’ statement said, adding that they “strongly oppose all attempts to restrict that participation by limiting the sacred right to vote…”

Former Coptic monk executed for bishop’s murder (CNA) Wael Saad, a former monk of the Coptic Orthodox Church, was executed on Sunday for the 2018 murder of Bishop Epiphanius, the abbot of St. Macarius Monastery. Saad’s brother told Reuters the family was told to receive his body from a morgue in Damanhour, 40 miles southeast of Alexandria, May 9…

Shrine to host recitation of rosary as part of “marathon” (CNS) The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will host a recitation of the rosary on Monday, May 17, at noon (EDT) as part of Pope Francis’ call for a worldwide marathon of rosaries for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each day during May at noon, the rosary will be prayed from a different Marian shrine around the world. Pope Francis began the rosary marathon May 1 at the Vatican and will conclude it there on May 31. Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory will lead the recitation of the rosary at the basilica May 17…