Crux Now

Adoring Christ with Mary Magdalene

Saint Mary Magdalene — whose feast day is on July 22 — was charged with proclaiming the tidings of Paschal joy to the very apostles themselves. This really means that she was the first person ever to truly proclaim the full Gospel message, since salvation was not complete until Christ had risen from the dead.

Pope begins answering priests from troubled Nigerian diocese

Last June, Pope Francis threatened the priests of the Ahiara diocese in Nigeria with suspension unless they wrote a letter addressed to him, apologizing for refusing to accept their bishop, appointed by Benedict XVI in 2012. Days after the deadline, letters from Rome responding to each priest individually began to arrive in the diocese.

6 killed as tensions over shrine turn violent in Israel
- Associated Press
- July 22, 2017
What began with the attempt by Israel to put up metal detectors at al-Aqsa Mosque after an attack that left two Israeli police dead, has now wrought more violence. A young Palestinian man broke into an Israeli settler’s home to kill those he found there at dinner. The Church leaders in the Holy Land had been warning that any attempt to modify the Status Quo of the holy sites would lead to more violence.
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U.S. bishops call for permanent protection for young migrants
- Rhina Guidos
- July 22, 2017
Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, chair of the migration committee of the USCCB, wrote a statement urging the Trump administration and members of the U.S. Congress to “ensure permanent protection” for the estimated 750,000 youth in the DACA program, also known as DREAMERS, who otherwise risk deportation.
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Colombian martyrs: witnesses to the point of death
- Junno Arocho Esteves
- July 22, 2017
In the context of a healing political assessment, Pope Francis will visit Colombia in early September and will beatify two Colombian martyrs who symbolize the strength and grace of those called to witness the Gospel in the face of adversity and persecution.
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Good works of churches often go unnoticed
- Adelle M. Banks
- July 22, 2017
A recent study shows that although 60 percent of Americans recognize that churches in the United States offer help and relief to the poor and the hungry, the fact that church members teach job skills and help immigrants learn English, volunteer to provide foster care, and offer tax preparation assistance is not well known by most people.
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Could a California bill make Catholic conduct codes illegal?
- Catholic News Agency
- July 22, 2017
A proposed new law in California would prohibit employers from requiring their employees to sign a waiver or other document that “purports to deny any employee the right to make his or her own reproductive health care decisions.” It would also bar an employer from taking any adverse action against an employee based on the use of any medical service related to “reproductive health” – which would include abortion, contraception and sterilization.
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In Jericho, new Franciscan youth center offers chance to meet 'the other'
- Judith Sudilovsky
- July 22, 2017
The Franciscan center in the Muslim-majority town of Jericho, West Bank, offers free courses in English, art, theater, computers and sports in the hopes of creating a place of social encounter and education toward peace by exposing the youth to different cultural and social ideas and norms.
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Former United States head of Opus Dei dies at 71
- Catholic News Agency
- July 21, 2017
After a fight with cancer, Father Arne Panula, the former U.S. vicar of Opus Dei, died in his home in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2017. Panula acted as vicar of Opus Dei from 1998 to 2002. Cardinal Donald Wuerl will celebrate the funeral Mass July 22 at the Cathedral of St. Mathew the Apostle.
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Parolin’s visit to Russia key step in Pope Francis’s courtship of Putin
- Claire Giangravè
- July 21, 2017
The second highest-ranking official in the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is preparing for his August trip to Russia. The historic event represents a key step in Pope Francis’s courtship with President Putin, with one eye pointed toward ambitious ecumenical possibilities with the Orthodox Church and the other fixed on the Middle East.
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As latest Vatican trial opens, is it time to dust off ‘About Doctrine’?

July 20, 2017

Back in the 19th century, French novelist and journalist Edmond About was considered the Tocqueville of the Papal States, and he had a fairly cynical view of papal justice. As the latest Vatican trial opens, it’s interesting to apply his tests. There’s also some question marks about the timing of the trial, and a juicy irony waiting to be exploited surrounding the name of one of the defense lawyers.

Ex-Vatican doctrine chief says Church did what it could on German abuse scandal

July 20, 2017

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, until recently the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, spoke about a recent report that found 547 former members of the Regensburg Domspatzen boys choir were abused, including 67 cases of sexual violence. As former diocesan archbishop, he began the investigations into the allegations, which first surfaced in 2010.