December 4, 2023

Catholic News

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis called the destruction of the environment “an offense against God” in a message given to the participants in the UN climate summit on Saturday. The keynote address that the pope had intended to give in person at the COP28 conference was distributed to the attendees in Dubai, where Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin read a shortened version of the pope’s speech to the assembly on December 2. Pope Francis, who turns 87 in two weeks, canceled his scheduled trip to the United Arab Emirates days before the climate summit at the request of his doctors after coming down with a flu infection that left him with breathing difficulties and acute bronchitis. Care for creation has been an important theme in Francis’ pontificate. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256165/pope-francis-to-cop28-environmental-destruction-is-an-offense-against-god Pope Francis for the second consecutive Sunday was assisted by an aide in praying the Angelus as he continues to recover from an acute bronchial infection. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256167/pope-francis-on-first-sunday-of-advent-im-improving-but-my-voice-still-doesnt-work At least three people were killed and others injured Sunday morning in an explosion during a Mass held in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines. Authorities are investigating whether pro-Islamic State militants were responsible for the blast, which set off a panic on the campus of Mindanao State University in Marawi on the island of Mindanao. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256166/philippine-catholic-mass-explosion-three-killed Today, the Church celebrates Saint John of Damascus. Eastern Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics, whose tradition has been particularly shaped by his insights, celebrate the saint's feast on the same day as the Roman Catholic Church. Among Eastern Christians, John is best known for his defense of Christian sacred art, particularly in the form of icons. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-of-damascus-407