Sacred images that were damaged by bullets in the church in Santa Anita were placed at the foot of the altar of the cathedral in Guachochi. / Guachochi Cathedral FacebookACI Prensa Staff, Jun 9, 2023 / 16:10 pm (CNA).The pastor of a church riddled with bullets in an armed confrontation between crime gangs in the border state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico called on the criminals involved to listen to "the voice of God" and to "turn their weapons into plows to till the earth, into instruments to sing and rejoice."In a letter shared with ACI Prensa, CNA s Spanish-language news partner, Father Enrique Urzúa, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Guachochi in the Diocese of Tarahumara, addressed the criminals who had clashed on June 5 in the small settlement of Santa Anita, "causing suffering and death.""Brothers, listen to the voice of God! I am sure that the vast majority of you are baptized; we are brothers, and even though you are within the
Paris, France / Pedro Lastra / Unsplash (CC0)Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 9, 2023 / 15:10 pm (CNA).A 24-year-old Catholic Frenchman named Henri went viral Thursday as the "backpack hero" after he stopped a potentially deadly knife attack at a playground in southeastern France by chasing away the attacker with a backpack.French newspaper 20 Minutes reported on Henri s heroic response to the shocking attack.The perpetrator, only partially identified by French authorities as Abdalmasih H., is a 31-year-old Syrian refugee. On June 8 he unleashed a sudden stabbing attack on children and adults at a playground in the town of Annecy.Two adults, men over 70, and four children, all 3 years old and younger, were seriously injured and later hospitalized due to the attack.Henri, who did not give his last name to the media, told reporters he was in the town of Annecy as part of a nine-month pilgrimage to visit France s cathedrals on foot.When he saw the attack begin to unfold, Henri spr
Cross in the square of the church of San Martín, in Callosa de Segura, Spain. / Credit: Citizen Platform in Defense of the CrossACI Prensa Staff, Jun 9, 2023 / 15:40 pm (CNA).The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has announced it has hired a law firm and a specialized association to clarify the alleged cases of abuse that occurred in its schools in Catalonia, Spain, and to accompany the complainants.The Jesuit delegate in Catalonia, Enric Puiggròs, has announced that the congregation has taken action in relation to the alleged cases of sexual abuse that may have been perpetrated in schools.In order to clarify the allegations, determine how they were handled, and identify those responsible for what reportedly took place, the Roca Junyent law firm has been hired.For the pastoral care and accompaniment of the alleged victims, the Jesuits have turned to the Association for Mediation, Encounter, and Listening (AMEE), an organization that specializes in this area and that facilitates restor.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are giving an award to a group of gay and transgender drag performers who mock the Catholic faith. / YouTube/Los Angeles Dodgers June 4, 2022, YouTube/60 Second Docs Dec. 27, 2021Washington D.C., Jun 9, 2023 / 13:38 pm (CNA).Prominent Catholics and other Christians, including baseball players and bishops, continue to denounce the Los Angeles Dodgers decision to honor an anti-Catholic drag group called the "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" at a game on June 16.The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a national drag queen group that impersonates nuns and uses Catholic religious imagery and themes in protests and sexualized performances to raise awareness and money for LGBTQ+ causes. The performers call themselves nuns and regularly use the images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and women religious.The Dodgers will be honoring the L.A. chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a "Community Hero Award" before a game against the San Francisc
Pope Francis at his general audience in St. Peter's Square on May 17, 2023. / Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Jun 9, 2023 / 05:18 am (CNA).Pope Francis is "steadily improving" two days after he underwent abdominal surgery to correct an incisional hernia, a Vatican spokesman said Friday.According to Matteo Bruni, the pope rested during the night and on the morning of June 9 was able to eat breakfast and move from his hospital bed to an armchair."The medical team reports that the clinical picture is steadily improving and the post-operative progress is normal," he said in a brief statement released shortly before 1:00 p.m. Rome time.He added that Pope Francis was able to read the newspaper and do some work.Francis underwent a three-hour surgery for an incisional hernia on June 7. A team of surgeons removed scar tissue and operated on a hernia in the pope s abdominal wall at the site of a previous surgical incision.Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the pope s main surgeon, said at