Articles by Courtney Mares
The Syria visited by Pope John Paul II, and Syria today
Apr 3, 2018 / 13:00 pmWhen Pope Saint John Paul II visited Syria in 2001, he called on Christians to remember Syria’s “magnificent contribution” to the history of Christianity. As the country reels from seven years of civil war, Christian communities in Damascus continue to struggle to protect that heritage.
Retreat fosters healing for adult children of divorce
Apr 2, 2018 / 02:39 amAccording to the Pew Research Center, only 46 percent of Americans under the age of 18 live in a traditional family with two parents in their first marriage.
For former inmates, returning to society comes with challenges
Mar 29, 2018 / 15:18 pmFor the fourth time in his pontificate, Pope Francis will wash the feet of inmates at a prison on Holy Thursday this year.
Ambassador Brownback: World faces a 'critical moment' for religious minorities
Mar 26, 2018 / 15:11 pm“It is more dangerous now than any time in history to be a person of faith,” said Ambassador Sam Brownback at an event marking the second anniversary of U.S. recognition that the Islamic State committed genocide against religious minorities, including Christians, in Syria and Iraq.
What the 'Great Firewall' might signal for Vatican-China deal
Mar 23, 2018 / 20:47 pmAs the Chinese government tightens control over Christian groups in the country, experts caution that Beijing is positioned to further restrict religious freedom, using the model of government-run social media.
Saint Paul film highlights Christian hope in the face of persecution
Mar 23, 2018 / 12:48 pmActors and filmmakers at the red carpet premiere of “Paul Apostle of Christ” said the film’s portrayal of Christian persecution in ancient Rome is a timely reminder that people around the world continue to suffer for their faith.
Philly archdiocese responds after city halts foster care placements
Mar 16, 2018 / 15:00 pmAfter the City of Philadelphia announced it has stopped using Catholic Social Services’ foster care program because it does not place children with same-sex couples, the archdiocese has said it hopes to resume a partnership with the city.
Haspel CIA nomination raises questions about ‘enhanced interrogation’ and torture
Mar 15, 2018 / 18:00 pmGina Haspel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA, oversaw a secret prison in Thailand where US intelligence targets were reportedly subject to waterboarding and other “enhanced interrogation” techniques.
US bishops voice support for First Amendment Defense Act
Mar 14, 2018 / 14:55 pmThe U.S. bishops have voiced their strong support for a bill protecting individuals and institutions from discrimination by the federal government based on their beliefs about marriage, regardless of what those beliefs are.
George Weigel: Virtue, cultural renewal necessary for democracy
Mar 13, 2018 / 15:07 pmAs populists across the U.S. and Europe express discontent with the current state of democracy, George Weigel has pointed to the importance of family and civil society in encouraging and cultivating the virtuous citizenry necessary for democratic renewal.
In China, government-appointed bishops support Xi, Vatican-China deal
Mar 13, 2018 / 02:02 amGovernment-backed bishops have spoken out publicly in support of the Vatican-China deal in a Chinese media interview at the Chinese Communist Party’s annual meetings this week.
Vatican's Korea diplomat to help bridge the gap between North and South
Mar 9, 2018 / 16:14 pmThe Vatican’s recent diplomatic appointment to South Korea gained added significance as President Donald Trump announced that he will meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un for nuclear negotiations within the next two months.
Father Neuhaus remembered as civil rights, pro-life advocate
Mar 9, 2018 / 11:45 amIn a room full of Lutheran and Catholic intellectuals on Wednesday, one women stood up and shared a story about a civil rights advocate whom she met in New York City in the late 1960s. At a time when many in her civil rights community were beginning to get caught up in abortion advocacy, this man took the time to sit down with her to help her to understand the theological basis for defending the human dignity of both minorities and the unborn.
With lifelong rule by Xi Jinping, how will Christians fare in China?
Mar 6, 2018 / 17:08 pmThis month’s meeting of China’s National People’s Congress, convened March 5, will likely confirm a constitutional change eliminating term limits and allowing President Xi Jinping to stay in power beyond 2023.
Catholic lawyer voices concern at Supreme Court's immigrant bond ruling
Mar 2, 2018 / 19:20 pmAfter the Supreme Court rejected the idea that detained immigrants are entitled to periodic bond hearings, a Catholic immigration lawyer warned that detention centers take a toll on those who spend long periods of time there.
How the rosary helped Jim Caviezel play St. Luke
Feb 28, 2018 / 16:00 pm“Passion of the Christ” star Jim Caviezel told CNA that he relied on scripture, daily Mass and the rosary to portray holiness on the big screen in “Paul, the Apostle of Christ.”
Nigerian Christian community mourns Boko Haram kidnapping
Feb 28, 2018 / 00:40 amWith 110 girls still missing after terrorist group Boko Haram attacked a technical college in Nigeria last week, a priest in the region says “deep sorrow has descended on the once sleepy…town.”
Sex trafficking, elderly suicide, and the legacy of China's one child policy
Feb 25, 2018 / 16:07 pmAlthough China expanded its former one child policy to a limit of two children per family in 2015, decades of government-enforced population control have left China with significant gender and age imbalances that have far reaching societal consequences, including a rise in sex trafficking and elderly suicide, according to a Chinese pro-life advocate.
Archbishop of Erbil: Christians in Iraq are ‘scourged, wounded, but still there’
Feb 19, 2018 / 04:30 amThe Chaldean Archbishop spoke of the state of Christianity in Iraq today and what both Muslim and Western leaders can do to help protect religious minorities and rebuild their communities.
From North Korea to Catholicism: Mi Jin’s answered prayer
Feb 16, 2018 / 09:38 amDuring her childhood in North Korea, Mi Jin Kang never believed in the existence of God, until one person began to spark her curiosity.