Latest news with #Dicastery
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vatican agrees to hear parents' case on Blessed Sacrament School
The Vatican has agreed to hear the case of Blessed Sacrament School parents who are fighting to keep the school open after the Diocese of Erie announced its closure on February 14. The decision by the Vatican to study the case comes after the Friends of Blessed Sacrament School hired a canon lawyer in late February to present their claims. BSS parents hire lawyer, petition bishop to revoke school closure The group filed these claims in March, seeking to overturn the diocese's decision, which they argue was made without sufficient transparency. 'It's mind boggling, but the fact that they would take the time to get back so quickly to us on our little recourse case here in Erie, Pennsylvania, that is amazing and it makes me proud to be Catholic,' said Dorothy Sexauer, a member of the Friends of Blessed Sacrament School. The Diocese of Erie announced the closure of Blessed Sacrament School, citing a data-driven decision by the Catholic school system. However, parents are requesting the release of the data used to make this decision. Bishop Lawrence Persico reaffirmed in a statement in March that there would not be a reversal of the decision to close the campus. Despite this, the parents remain hopeful that the Vatican's involvement might lead to a different outcome. EDP, Flagship City District announce downtown summer events The Vatican's letter to the group's canon lawyer stated, 'This Dicastery has received the hierarchical recourse you have made against the decision to close Blessed Sacrament School. The Dicastery has begun its study of the case and will respond according to the norm of law.' Dorothy Sexauer emphasized the unique community at the school, noting that it serves over 40 percent minority students and nearly 50 percent low-income students, providing them a secure and welcoming environment. While the group has not been given a timeline for a decision from the Vatican, the fact that their case is being considered is seen as a positive step in their efforts to keep the school open. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now All facts from this article were gathered by WJET/WFXP journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by WJET/WFXP staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
14-05-2025
- Business Standard
'Peace be with you all': Pope Leo XIV shares first post in Instagram debut
Pope Leo XIV made his debut on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing photos from his early days as pontiff. In his first post, he quoted from his Urbi et Orbi blessing delivered after his election on May 8, writing: 'Peace be with you all!' 'This is the first greeting spoken by the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd,' he wrote. 'I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, and among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world.' According to a press statement issued Tuesday by the Dicastery for Communication, Pope Leo XIV intends to maintain an active digital presence through the Vatican's official accounts on Instagram and X. The move continues a trend set by Pope Francis, who regularly used social media to share short, spiritually themed messages and visuals from papal events. His posts often touched on themes of peace, justice, and care for the environment. 'Pope Francis' messages provided near-daily accompaniment throughout his pontificate with short messages of an evangelical nature and exhortations in favor of peace, social justice, and care for creation,' the Dicastery stated. To preserve this legacy, posts from Pope Francis will be archived in a dedicated section of the Holy See's official website. Pope Leo XIV Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, is the first American to ascend to the papacy. Despite his US origins, he is closely associated with Latin America due to his long missionary service in Peru. The 69-year-old pontiff revealed that he chose his papal name with assistance from artificial intelligence, drawing inspiration from Pope Leo XIII. The 19th-century pope is remembered for his landmark encyclical 'Rerum Novarum', which addressed workers' rights during the industrial revolution. 'I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical 'Rerum Novarum' addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution,' Pope Leo XIV explained, according to a Vatican transcript. He also likened the rise of AI to a modern industrial revolution and acknowledged its complex implications. 'In our own day, the church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour,' he said. [With agency inputs]
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Harris County Catholic shares excitement of Pope Leo XIV, hopes his election will have impact on churches here
The Brief Local Catholics react to the news of the first American Pope, Pope Leo XIV. A member of the Prince of Peach Catholic church says Pope Leo XIV is a very humble servant leader. Patrick Spedale shares the history of Pope Leo XIV and his work with Pope Francis. TOMBALL, TEXAS - For the first time, an American Cardinal, Robert Prevost, was elected pope. He is now known as Pope Leo XIV. While this is historic, Catholics in Houston share more on the impact this could have here at home. Patrick Spedale, Director of Worship at the Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Tomball, says it was a shock to see an American elected Pope. RELATED: Cardinal Robert Prevost elected new Pope Leo XIV: Here's what's next What they're saying "So the emotion of it is the cardinals and their wisdom, guided by the Holy Spirit, elected a pontiff, the 267th pope of the universal church, who is a man of great humility, a man of great love of the poor that wants to see the church being as he said today," Spedale said. "It's historic and momentous. This is not something that we saw coming or expected or that I even thought was a remote possibility." Spedale says Pope Leo embodies a lot of the qualities of Pope Francis and worked closely with him. He adds, Pope Leo is considered as a very humble servant leader, so very much so in the style of Pope Francis. "It certainly makes sense the offices that he's been serving in led him to be a strong contender of the papacy. He was in charge of the Dicastery for bishops. So he worked closely with Pope Francis about who would be named bishops of different dioceses since 2023," Spedale said. "He was also the prefect of the Dicastery of the church in Latin America, so overseeing operations and missions and personnel of the church in Latin America." Spedale adds there is significance in Pope Leo choosing his name. "By taking the name Leo the 14th, he makes a very strong nod or gesture to Pope Leo the XIII, "Spedale said," So, by taking the name Leo the 14th, he definitely announces that there is going to be continued advocacy for the church to speak up on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized, and to call power to truth and to justice." What's next Spedale said that he hopes Pope Leo XIV will have an impact on the American Catholic Church. "I think that he will bring the gospel in a way that Francis started with" Spedale said," It will be a chance for Pope Leo to influence the church in the United States to continue to discover the gospel in news ways. How do we read the signs of the times today and how we apply the gospel to our country to our world in everything that we do and continue to be an emphasis on solidarity, social justice and care for the worker and the poor and creation as well, which is a major part of Catholic social teaching. The Source FOX 26 reporter Leslie DelasBour spoke with Patrick Spedale, Director of Worship at the Prince of Peace Catholic Community.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Portland archbishop ‘stunned' at unprecedented selection of new pope from U.S.
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Catholic leaders in Portland are reacting to the selection of the new pope after the Vatican selected as the church's new world spiritual leader. Prevost, who took the name Pope Leo XIV, is . That was one of the reasons the announcement came as a 'shocker,' according to , Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Portland chef couple tapped for national food series 'When the announcement was made, I can honestly say I was stunned,' Archbishop Sample said. 'You know, being from the United States originally, I just, I didn't think maybe the rest of the cardinals of the world was ready for an American pope. But here we are.' The results came as a surprise to the archbishop. However, it always lingered as a possibility since Cardinal Prevost had a high position in the Vatican as head of the Dicastery, the person in charge of overseeing the appointment of bishops throughout the world, Sample said. 'It was a shocker, it was a shocker. And I don't mean that in a bad way but I just, it was like, 'Wow, I did not expect that,'' he explained. In terms of what he hopes for the new pope, Archbishop Sample said he feels 'encouraged' about the fact that Pope Leo XIV is from the United States and will likely understand the church in America and 'the challenges that we face here.' Shooting near Portland preschool involved security guard 'It's always exciting because, you know, there's a change. And we're all excited now to see what direction, you know, he will move us in, what kind of leadership he will provide, what sorts of matters in the life of the church, and in the world, are going to be a focus for him,' Sample said. The St. Mary's Cathedral in Portland is holding a mass of celebration for the selection of a new pope on Sunday at 11 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Factbox-A brief guide to the Catholic Church's saint-making process
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Catholic Church will proclaim its first millennial saint on April 27, elevating Carlo Acutis, a teenage web developer who died from leukaemia in 2006, to the same status as Saint Francis and Mother Teresa. Here is a brief summary of how the Roman Catholic Church recognises sainthood. The process that can lead to sainthood, known as a "cause", cannot usually start until five years after a person's death. In the early years of the Church, a saint could be declared such by acclamation by the people, or by cardinals, or by papal decree. Today, the Vatican department that studies sainthood causes is known as the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. Its origins date back to 1588, but the department has been modified several times over the years. After the Dicastery accepts the name of a person to be considered for sainthood, that person is given the title "Servant of God". If initial investigations show that the candidate for sainthood lived what is known as a life of "heroic virtues," that person is given the title "Venerable". Historical and theological commissions in the Dicastery study the person's life, read his or her writings and interview people who knew the person. At this point, in order for the procedure to continue, a miracle is needed. Miracles are not performed by prospective saints but by God. The Church believes that, because a prospective saint is in heaven, he or she can intercede with God to perform the miracle for someone on earth who has prayed for the prospective saint's help. A miracle is usually a medically inexplicable healing. A medical commission appointed by the Vatican determines if there was any medical explanation for the healing or not. Miracles are not necessary if a person was a martyr, someone killed in what the Church calls "hatred of the faith". If a miracle is determined for those who were not martyrs, the person can be "beatified" and is given the title "Blessed". Carlo Acutis was beatified in 2020. A second, distinct miracle must take place after the beatification in order to proceed to sainthood. Acutis is credited with two miracles – the healing of a 4-year-old Brazilian boy with a serious pancreatic malformation and of a 21-year-old Costa Rican woman who was near death after a tragic bicycle accident. The parents of both individuals had prayed to Acutis for help, Church authorities said. Acutis himself was a believer in miracles. Shortly before his death, he finished developing a website to track locations of reported Catholic miracles around the world. Other saints who died at a young age include St. Therese of Lisieux, who died at 24 in 1897 and was known for promoting a "Little Way" of love and charity; and St. Aloysius Gonzaga who died at 23 in 1591 after caring for victims of an epidemic in Rome.
