From Rome:

May 17, 2013 / 11:30 am

With the touch of an iPad, Pope Francis became the first pontiff to unlock a new smartphone application and expanded the Church’s footprint in the digital world.

“I was quite anxious that we were going to get the signal and it was all going to work. Because this isn’t made up, these folks are actually waiting for the Holy Father to hit this button before it works,” said Father Andrew Small in a May 17 CNA interview.

The launch of the MISSIO App took place May 17 in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall during a meeting of the Pope and the 120 national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies.

The mission society’s application for mobile devices and smartphones collects news from Rome, stories and photos from the missions and other material and makes it available to the world.

The actual unlocking of the app was simple.

Fr. Small, the U.S. national director, presented his iPad to the Pope, who asked, “I push here?”

“As soon as the Holy Father hit the button, a little notice came across the top – what they call a ‘push notice’ – and it said, ‘Pope Francis has unlocked the MISSIO App.’

“And he sort of looked a little bit surprised,” Fr. Small recalled.

The button was labeled “Evangelizantur,” which means, “that they be evangelized” in Latin.

Since the app is available in English, Spanish, Italian, German, French,
Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic, Fr. Small explained that the developers settled on the Latin phrase for the launch.

The purpose of the application is to help the Pope and the Church extend the reach of its message, with a particular emphasis on young people. …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Vatican City:

May 16, 2013 / 10:40 am

The Pope told Christians it is better to be “annoying” and “a nuisance” than lukewarm in proclaiming Jesus Christ.

“If we annoy people, blessed be the Lord,” said Pope Francis during his morning Mass at the Vatican on May 16.

“We can ask the Holy Spirit to give us all this apostolic fervor and to give us the grace to be annoying when things are too quiet in the Church,” he said at the chapel of the Saint Martha residence, where he lives.

He celebrated the Mass alongside Cardinal Peter Turkson and Bishop Mario Toso, the president and the secretary of the Vatican Council for Justice and Peace.

Council staff and employees from Vatican Radio were among those attending the Eucharistic celebration.

The Pope preached on today’s first reading from Acts 22 and contrasted “backseat Christians” with those who have apostolic zeal.

“There are those who are well mannered, who do everything well, but are unable to bring people to the Church through proclamation and apostolic zeal,” he stated.

The pontiff said apostolic zeal “implies an element of madness,” which he labeled as “healthy” and “spiritual.”

He added that it “can only be understood in an atmosphere of love” and that it is not an “enthusiasm for power and possession.” …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Jacksonville, Florida:

Published: 5/08 6:41 pm
Updated: 5/08 9:43 pm

When Donald Jackson saw an SUV sinking in a retention pond on his way to work to the Community First Credit Union, he acted on his security guard instincts to protect people.

“I just kind of looked around and didn’t see anybody doing anything,” said Jackson. “So I just I saw it sinking so that was the first thing I just took off everything and ran to the pond and jumped in.”

He says he tried to open the driver side door but it was stuck. By the time he got to the back door, the SUV was nearly submerged, but he was able to spot a baby boy and pull him out.

“I held onto that boy as hard as I could,” said Jackson. “I wasn’t going to let him go. I got a three year old so I just know being in that situation, I would really love for someone to do that for my son too.”

Another good Samaritan helped a woman who was in the front seat also escape. Jackson says he is still in shock. Some may call him a hero, but he says his ability to come to two victims rescue was nothing short of a miracle.

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Rome:

May 13, 2013 / 04:03 pm

A new faith-based board game created by a Spanish nun has become one of the most popular First Communion gifts in Spain this year.

Sister Maria Granados Molina created the new game, “The Joy of the Faith,” which tests players’ knowledge of Catholicism. The game’s publisher said 2,000 copies have been made since the game went on sale a few months ago, and there are hopes to market it in the United States and Latin America.

Thirty-five year-old Sr. Molina was born in Granada and belongs to a Carmelite order in the city of Cuenca. She works as a catechist for the Diocese of Cuenca.

In an interview with CNA, Sr. Molina said she never imagined the game would become so popular. She made the first version of the game at home with her own printer and the help “of the sisters from my congregation in Cuenca.”

“The Joy of the Faith” is intended to help players learn about Jesus and the experience of being a Christian. Players roll dice and answer questions about the Catholic faith to move along the spaces on the board. The game incorporates drawings, gestures and prayers.
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Sr. Molina debuted the game in Madrid last year during a conference on catechesis. It was picked up by a national distributor and made available later throughout the country.

“The game is the fruit of a desire, a concern and a prayer…and I think it has received a surprising reception. Nobody thought that with the way Spain is right now that a game like this would be a success,” she said. …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Rome:

May 12, 2013 / 11:00 am

Pope Francis greeted the thousands of people who had gathered this morning in Rome to protest against abortion, praising efforts to secure legal protection for human beings at their earliest stages of life.

“I greet the participants of the March for Life which took place this morning in Rome and invite everyone to stay focused on the important issue of respect for human life, from the moment of conception,” said the Pope at St. Peter’s Basilica.

He addressed the pro-life advocates at Saint Peter’s Square in his comments for the May 12 Regina Caeli prayer. They had gathered in St. Peter’s Square after marching against abortion earlier that day in Rome.

The march began at Rome’s Colosseum and ended at Castel Sant’Angelo, just a few hundred feet from the Vatican.

Pope Francis praised other pro-life efforts in Italy.

“I am pleased to recall the petition that today takes place in many Italian parishes, in order to support the initiative European ‘One of Us’ to ensure legal protection to the embryo, protecting every human being from the first moment of its existence,” the Pope said.

He announced that the Vatican will host events dedicated to Pope John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” on June 15 and 16. Pope Francis said this occasion would be “a special moment for those who have cared about the defense of the sanctity of human life.” …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Vatican City:

May 12, 2013 / 01:30 pm

Pope Francis on Sunday canonized hundreds of fifteenth century Italian martyrs who died rather than renounce their Christian faith.

“The martyrs’ faithfulness even unto death and the proclamation of the Gospel are rooted in the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,” said Pope Francis during the May 12 canonization Mass at the Vatican.

He saw in their lives an inspiration for victims of persecution today.

“Let us ask God to sustain those many Christians who, in these times and in many parts of the world, right now, still suffer violence, and give them the courage and fidelity to respond to evil with good,” the Pope said.

In 1480, Turkish invaders beheaded Antonio Primaldo and his hundreds of companions in the far southeastern Italian town of Otranto after they refused to give up their faith.

Pope Francis compared Antonio Primaldo to the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as “a man full of the Holy Spirit.”

“This means he was full of the love of God, that his whole person, his whole life was animated by the Spirit of the risen Christ, so as to follow Jesus with total fidelity, even unto to the gift of self,” he said.

He said St. Antonio Primaldo and companions found their strength “in faith, which allows us to see beyond the limits of our human eyes, beyond the boundaries of earthly life, to contemplate the heavens opened and the living Christ at the right hand of the Father.” …

Go here for the rest of the story, which includes the canonization of two additional saints.

From Indianapolis:

May 10, 2013 / 02:03 am

Six weeks after the Indiana Supreme Court upheld the state’s voucher program, Gov. Mike Pence has signed into law a bill that makes more children eligible for vouchers.

“Our Hoosier students deserve every opportunity to be successful. That includes having the choice to attend the school that works best for them,” Gov. Pence said May 9 at a signing ceremony at Calvary Christian school in Indianapolis.

He said the legislation would give more educational options to the state’s students.

The present program allows a family of four with an annual household income of $64,000 to receive vouchers up to $4,500 per child. Unlike programs in some other states, it does not limit vouchers to low-income students in failing schools.

The new bill expands eligibility requirements for vouchers. More children will be eligible without having to spend at least a year in public schools. Siblings of current voucher students, students with special needs, and children living in the attendance district of a public school that received a failing grade in state performance evaluations will also be eligible, the Associated Press reports.

The Indiana Catholic Conference said in a legislative roundup that current Catholic school families who meet income requirements are eligible for a tax credit scholarship through a scholarship granting organization. …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Austin, Texas:

May 8, 2013 / 03:00 pm

A new campaign from pro-life group Heroic Media has found considerable support from busy moms seeking to get more involved in promoting abortion alternatives.

The new campaign, 1000 Moms, was launched last year and has already “seen a very positive response,” executive director Joe Young of Heroic Media told CNA May 7.

By engaging mothers in prayer, networking and giving, the group aims “to help build a culture of life within our communities.”

One of the most important ways mothers are involved in this process is through prayer, Young explained, “Not just for Heroic Media, but for the women we’re reaching through our life-affirming media campaigns.”

Mothers are also asked to “be a champion of life” in their communities by educating themselves on sanctity of life issues, such as abortion and euthanasia, so that they can be “ready to present a pro-life position in the conversation.”

Young said moms are encouraged to share Heroic Media’s message in their social media networks as well.

Finally, members are asked to commit to a $1,000 donation annually to help fund pro-life media campaigns in their local communities.

By supporting the group financially, “They can ensure that this message of hope and help is given through their community and it points back to their local service providers in their area.”

So far, local media campaigns have helped make “significant progress” in connecting women facing an unplanned pregnancy with alternatives to abortion.

“This year, we’ve had more than 65,000 women connected to life-affirming resources,” Young said.

In addition to helping support pro-life ad campaigns, the 1000 Moms initiative is “all about celebrating the heroism of motherhood,” by recognizing the daily sacrifices of local moms. …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Rome:

May 9, 2013 / 04:03 pm

More than 15,000 people are expected to gather outside the historic Roman Coliseum on May 12 to take part in the third March for Life.

Included among expected participants are leading representatives of pro-life originations from around the world, as well as members of the clergy and European royalty.

Lila Rose, the president of undercover investigative group Live Action, and Nicholas Windsor, the son of the Duchess of Kent and grandson of Queen Elizabeth of England, are only a few of the leading figures who are expected to join in the March.

The march will be preceded by a conference on bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum and a prayer vigil on May 11, led by the prefect of the Apostolic Signature, Cardinal Raymond Burke.

The spokesman for the March, Virginia Coda Nunciante, told CNA, that “the main purpose of the march is to stop and to say ‘no’ to the 1978 law that legalized abortion in Italy, causing the deaths of more than five million children.”

“There are many dioceses and parishes that are committed to coming, in addition to the 120 movements and associations that have joined in this initiative,” she continued.

“ Let us take to the streets to reiterate a great yes to life, the first of all rights, because without life no other right can exist, and that is why we have so many families with children with us.”

“The defense of life is not only the responsibility of Catholics, but all those who acknowledge the existence of a natural law, written on the heart of each man which prohibits the killing of the innocent,” Coda said. “Abortion not only violates Catholic morality, but also natural law, which is valid for every man in every age and in all places.” …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Vatican City:

May 9, 2013 / 10:09 am

\Sister Alice Matilda Nsiah says that Pope Francis’ decision to meet with her and other superiors general on Wednesday left them encouraged, grateful and proud to be Catholic.

“Our faith is renewed with the Pope and we are very grateful that he give (sic) us the audience. We are very grateful that he has time for us. We are very grateful that we are working together for the Church. So we are very proud to be Catholics,” said Sr. Nsiah, mother superior of the Daughters of the Most Blessed Trinity.

She is one of about 800 religious sisters who were in Rome May 3-7 for the general assembly of the International Union of Superiors General, which discussed the prophetic nature of the Church and the nature of authority.

When they had their last gathering in 2010, Pope Benedict did not meet with them, so the time they had with Pope Francis was eagerly welcomed.

The sisters met with the Pope at 9:30 on Wednesday morning in the Paul VI Hall, about an hour before the start of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis spoke with the sisters about how important their work is for the Church and reflected on their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

As she left St. Peter’s Square after the May 8 general audience, Sr. Nsiah recounted the meeting for CNA.

“He gave a very good encouragement about our commitment to the Lord, how we are called by the Lord to serve him in the Church and how we are important in the Church,” she said.

The Pope also stressed the importance of the sisters being spiritual “mothers and not spinsters!”

“Chastity enlarges the freedom of your gift to God and others with Christ’s tenderness, mercy, and closeness. But, please, (make it) a ‘fertile’ chastity, which generates spiritual children in the Church,” he told the consecrated women.

“Forgive me if I talk like this,” he added, “but this maternity of consecrated life, this fruitfulness is important!”

For Sr. Nsiah, the Holy Father’s words underscored that “without us, the maternity of the Church is lacking.” …

Go here for the rest of the story.

From Los Angeles (HT Daryn Kagan):

Kemp hadn’t planned to hand his cap, his jersey and his cleats to an ill Dodgers fan, but then he just had to.

He had just made the final out in a city where his name is booed, his jersey is reviled, and his team had been swept.

His power had disappeared, his swing was spotty, and his season was a wreck.

Matt Kemp would have been excused for quickly disappearing through the dugout at San Francisco’s AT&T Park on Sunday night and forgetting all about an earlier promise to third base coach Tim Wallach.

“But that was the neat deal about it,” Wallach said. “He was standing there waiting for me.”

Kemp was waiting to cross the diamond to sign an autograph for a terminally ill Dodgers fan, waiting to summon the passion necessary to pass along the hope that he now found so precious.

Kemp didn’t know the kid’s name. Kemp didn’t know anybody was watching. When he reached the figure in the hooded blue sweatshirt sitting motionless in the front row, he thought the encounter would be quick and forgettable.

Then Kemp saw something. Maybe it was the kid’s lost stare. Maybe it was his painfully frozen limbs.

“I said hi to him, he just looked at me in kind of shock, and it almost got me,” Kemp said. “It almost got me.”

Oh, but it did get him. The moment stripped him of his self-pity, and then everything else started coming off.
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From San Jose, Costa Rica:

May 7, 2013 / 12:07 pm

A pro-life association in Costa Rica has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the plight of babies with anencephaly, who are often used to justify calls for the legalization of abortion in Latin America.

Babies born with the condition are missing all or part of their brain and usually die within a few hours, although some babies live longer. One baby with the condition born in Brazil lived for 16 months.

In a statement sent to CNA, the pro-life group Por la Vida underscored the importance of defending the right to life of babies with anencephaly, one year after Brazil legalized abortion for babies with the condition. A baby with the same condition is currently making headlines in El Salvador, as a similar debate rages in the country.

The awareness campaign in Costa Rica includes testimonies from families who have had babies with anencephaly.

“Antonella, Gabriel, Liam, Isabella are only a few of the names of these babies who lived for a short time outside their mothers’ wombs but who live on in the hearts of the parents,” the campaign explained.

It added that these parents “wish to tell their stories to show that preserving the life of their child was worth it and that the best decision a mother in this situation can make is to allow her child to live and to die in the arms of his or her loved ones.” …

Go here for the rest of the story.