Articles by Kevin J. Jones
William May, the prof who renounced his dissent from Humanae Vitae
Dec 18, 2014 / 00:04 amWilliam E. May, a professor who retracted his one-time dissent from Humanae vitae and became an influential pro-life teacher and defender of Catholic moral ethics, died on Saturday.
Debt, illness, discrimination – Syrian refugees struggle in Lebanon
Dec 17, 2014 / 02:09 amAfter losing their homes and their livelihoods, Syrian refugees in Lebanon are now finding their plight worsened by the financial costs, medical stresses, and prejudices that can accompany living in a foreign land.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, the great missionary who protects her people
Dec 12, 2014 / 13:43 pmPope Francis praised Our Lady of Guadalupe on Friday as “a great missionary” who brought the faith to Latin America, as he called on Christians to see her prayers as an introduction to the Beatitudes and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Catholic profs told to report opposition to 'gay marriage' as harassment
Dec 9, 2014 / 04:03 amAn anti-harassment training presentation at a Catholic college encourages employees to report critics of “gay marriage” – and could reflect recent federal decisions that the belief in marriage as a union of a man and a woman is discriminatory.
Prayer in the Philippines: bracing for Super Typhoon Hagupit
Dec 5, 2014 / 12:02 pmWith Super Typhoon Hagupit approaching, tens of thousands of people have fled the coasts, as disaster relief agencies prepare for the storm’s aftermath and the Archbishop of Manila calls for prayers.
Catastrophe ahead? UN halts Syrian refugee food program
Dec 3, 2014 / 04:02 amWith winter approaching, Congress must act to help Syrian refugees whose basic needs are threatened by the U.N. suspension of an urgent food assistance program, said a leading Catholic humanitarian agency.
Syrian refugees pursue education for their children, in hope for the future
Nov 30, 2014 / 16:48 pmRefugees of the Syrian civil war say their new life has many burdens, but they hope that education for their children will ensure a brighter future.
Amid Syrian refugee relief, Christians and Muslims find fellowship
Nov 20, 2014 / 04:35 amA Syrian Muslim refugee aided by the Catholic relief agency Caritas Jordan now volunteers to help other refugees, saying the agency staff makes him feel like “a brother.”
Jerusalem victims had a name, a family, a story, priest recalls
Nov 19, 2014 / 16:31 pmFor one Jerusalem priest, the “horrific” killings at a Jerusalem synagogue show the need to humanize the victims of violence, in order to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy City.
New Chicago archbishop: Be authentic, leave your comfort zone
Nov 18, 2014 / 16:06 pmNewly installed Chicago Archbishop Blase J. Cupich’s first public homily stressed the importance of personal witness “with joy and compassion,” purified of “anger, harshness and fear.”
Lots of high fives: Philly celebrates announcement of Pope's visit
Nov 18, 2014 / 04:47 amPope Francis’ official confirmation of a visit to Philadelphia in 2015 has stoked great Catholic enthusiasm and prompted hopes that a papal visit will reinvigorate the archdiocese.
As winter looms, Syrian refugees now fear 'dire' shortfalls in aid
Nov 16, 2014 / 16:01 pmRefugees who have fled violence in Syria and Iraq may face further significant problems in meeting their basic needs if funding shortfalls for U.N. food and refugee assistance are not met.
The Lebanese model: a multi-religious solution for Syria and Iraq?
Nov 13, 2014 / 04:02 amThe apostolic nuncio to Lebanon has said the country is a model of multi-religious coexistence that could help resolve violent sectarian conflicts in the Middle East.
Food, blankets and hope – nuns risk lives to serve Syrian refugees
Nov 12, 2014 / 04:27 amNear the Lebanon-Syria border, two religious sisters are among the staff members at a refugee service center working to give relief – and hope – to thousands who have fled the armed conflict in Syria.
Singing nun's Madonna cover: not like a prayer
Oct 22, 2014 / 19:02 pmAlthough it may have been well intentioned, an Italian nun’s choice of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” as her first single shows “radical impropriety” which wrongly ignores the original song’s intent to undermine the Virgin Mary and Catholic morals, one cultural critic has said.
The USSR's Catholic martyrs suffered, but they suffered for God
Oct 22, 2014 / 03:02 amCatholic victims of the Soviet Union’s cruel anti-Christian persecutions faced execution, exile and arbitrary imprisonment for their faith – and now a new website tells their stories.
Will Boko Haram honor a ceasefire? Probably not.
Oct 17, 2014 / 16:02 pmA reputed ceasefire and agreement to return scores of abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria merit skepticism given Boko Haram’s violent ideology and the previous failures of the Nigerian government, one observer says.
A historical faith – studying history through a Catholic lens
Oct 17, 2014 / 14:41 pmThe study of history is an opportunity to unite faith and reason and to recover a distinctly Catholic perspective that sees God acting in the past, present and future, the authors of a new book say.
No boundaries to prayer for nurse under Ebola quarantine
Oct 15, 2014 / 16:10 pmCatholics in Texas are praying for the two nurses infected with Ebola, one of whom is a devout Catholic in communication with a priest.
LGBT activist group hopes to influence family synod
Oct 14, 2014 / 23:48 pmThe start of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family has triggered a wave of activism from well-funded LGBT activist groups in the U.S. who are targeting “outspoken” Catholic bishops in hopes of changing Catholic practice and moral doctrine.