VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis is not shy about showing his love for Mary in public and, like many Latin American bishops, he strongly has resisted attempts to dismiss as superstitious or "simple," in a negative sense, popular devotion to the mother of God.    The pope's devotion...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Many family farmers in the United States are facing the worst combination of events since the "farm crisis" of the mid-1980s.    After a relatively lengthy period of prosperity in the early part of this decade, prices for "row crops" -- corn, soybeans and wheat --...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- At a White House Rose Garden ceremony May 4, President Donald Trump told a group of religious leaders: "It was looking like you'd never get here, but you got here, folks," referring to their presence at the signing of the executive order on religious liberty.    A...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Mary, like many mothers throughout the world, is an example of strength and courage in accepting new life and in sharing the suffering of their children, Pope Francis said.     Although she had no idea of what awaited her when she accepted to bear God's son, "Ma...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Recent popes have had a special affection for Our Lady of Fatima, but no pope's connection can match that of St. John Paul II.    "We cannot forget that he was saved by Our Lady of Fatima from the assassination attempt here in St. Peter's. This is fundamental an...
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CAIRO (CNS) – The only kind of fanaticism that is acceptable to God is being fanatical about loving and helping others, Pope Francis said on the final day of his apostolic visit to Egypt.     After spending the first day of his visit in meetings with Muslim leaders, government...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church needs laypeople with a missionary spirit, which means Catholics do not have to try to force members into a vocation that is the Holy Spirit's to give, Pope Francis said.     The temptation to impose a vocation on laypeople as some kind of val...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- This summer's Convocation of Catholic Leaders comes at a time when the U.S. Catholic Church is seeking how best to respond to a changing social landscape while bringing Pope Francis' vision for a church that offers mercy and joy to the world.    Called by the bish...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While searching for a connection today often means looking for Wi-Fi, Pope Francis said real connections between people are the only hope for the future.    "How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) – How the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a case examining whether a mentally ill criminal defendant is entitled to defense by an independent mental health expert will have an immediate impact.     When the Arkansas Supreme Court stayed the executions of two of the...
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