via Vatican News: He remarked on the fact that, for many of us, it is not easy to be in silence as we live in an environment that is “polluted by too much verbal violence,” by so many “offensive and harmful words” which are amplified by the internet. “Lent is a time to disconnect from… Read More Pope Francis on Lent: Give Up Useless Words, Chatter, Gossip for Silence

Eric Sundrup, S.J., and Paddy Gilger, S.J., return with Season 3, Episode 1 of Jesuit Autocomplete, answering some of the Internet’s most-searched questions about Ash Wednesday: Do all Christians celebrate it? Where do the ashes come from?

via Vatican News: In a letter sent on 22 February to the L’Arche Federation, the leaders of the movement made public the conclusions of the investigation which they had entrusted to an external and independent body. The investigation included testimonies implicating its founder, Jean Vanier, and his links to Fr Thomas Philippe, a Dominican priest,… Read More L’Arche: Internal investigation reveals abuses committed by Jean Vanier

via the Vatican: Jesus does not make demands of those who endure situations of frailty, suffering and weakness, but offers his mercy and his comforting presence. He looks upon a wounded humanity with eyes that gaze into the heart of each person. That gaze is not one of indifference; rather, it embraces people in their… Read More Pope Francis: Ensure Everyone Has Access to Healthcare and Discard No One

Bashar al-Assad’s regime, backed by Russia, has intensified its military campaign across Idlib, Syria’s last rebel-held territory. Since December 2019, the fighting has forced 850,000 civilians to flee. CNN’s Arwa Damon is the only western journalist reporting from inside Syria:

via The Hill: Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Tuesday said that the Democratic Party should be a “big tent” for people of different beliefs, including those who oppose abortion rights…. “There are pro-life Democrats, and they are part of our party, and I think we need to build a big tent,” she said. “I… Read More Amy Backs a Big Tent Strategy, As Bernie and Mayor Pete Shun Pro-Life Democrats and Progressives

Migrants are often victims of criminal human smuggling and human trafficking. Among other causes, this happens because of corruption on the part of people willing to do anything for financial gain. The money from their dirty, underhanded business is blood money. I’m not exaggerating: it’s blood money. We pray that the cries of our migrant… Read More Pope Francis’ Prayer Intentions for February 2020: Hear the Cries of Migrants