Catholic Fire

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 21, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley condemned abortion in the starkest terms before a packed congregation of over 10,000 in Washington, D.C. Tuesday evening, insisting the Church has a duty to oppose abortion. “The Church with the candor of the child must call out the uncomfortable truth: abortion is wrong,” the Cardinal said as he celebrated the opening Mass of the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life, which occurs the night before the March for Life at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass was standing room only, with the faithful filling in all the aisles and corners of the Basilica even a half hour early. As has become customary, the Mass opened with a stunning 35-minute procession, including 33 bishops, 300 priests, 60 deacons, and 550 seminarians. Among the bishops were four Cardinals: Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto, an...

Pope Francis has approved a commission for the protection of minors and for victims of clerical sex abuse. The announcement was made by Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, who as the Archbishop of Boston, has directly led the fight against these type of cases. CARD. SEAN PATRICK O'MALLEY Archbishop of Boston ( USA ) "Continuing in the decisions, and in the policies of Pope Benedict XVI, and accepting a proposal that has been presented by the Council of Cardinals, the Holy Father has decided to establish a very specific Commission for the protection of children, so the Commission will be able to advise the Holy Father about the protection of children and in pastoral care for victims of abuse.” So the commission will study the current policies and propose new ways to improve them. It will also look into the pastoral support of victims and their families as the cooperation lines between Episcopal conferences and the respective authorities. CARD. SEAN PATRICK O'MALL...

Washington D.C., Oct 9, 2013 / 12:43 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A year-long initiative from the U.S. bishops is calling the faithful to respond to the needs of the unborn, supporting life in its most vulnerable stages. “We are called to love and respect one another as Christ does,” said Cardinal Séan P. O’Malley of Boston, who heads the pro-life committee for the U.S. bishops’ conference, in an Oct. 4 video. In the video, posted online, he delivered a message for Respect Life Sunday, which took place this year on Oct. 6 in dioceses across the country. Respect Life Sunday kicks off Respect Life Month, the cardinal explained, as well as “a full year of programs devoted to promoting and upholding the dignity of every person’s life, from the first moment of conception to the last moment of natural death.” The U.S. bishops’ conference has said that Respect Life Month and the following year of pro-life activities will take place in parishes throughout the nation, focusing on prayer and ...

Washington D.C., Sep 30, 2013 / 01:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Leaders of the U.S. bishops have written to lawmakers insisting on the importance of including religious liberty protections and the conscience rights of health care workers as part of government funding negotiations. “Protection for conscience rights in health care is of especially great importance to the Catholic Church, which daily contributes to the welfare of U.S. society through schools, social services, hospitals and assisted living facilities,” wrote Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley of Boston and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore in a Sept. 26 letter. The bishops wrote regarding the federal contraception mandate – issued by the Department of Health and Human Services – which requires employers to provide employee health coverage for sterilization and contraception, as well as drugs which can cause early abortions. While the mandate has a narrow exemption for religious employers, many Catholic institutions ...

“The news that researchers have developed a technique for human cloning is deeply troubling on many levels.  Creating new human lives in the laboratory solely to destroy them is an abuse denounced even by many who do not share the Catholic Church's convictions on human life.” ~ Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley via CNA.

This just in from the Cardinal Newman Society: Just this Friday afternoon, The Cardinal Newman Society learned that Cardinal Sean O'Malley has publicly challenged Boston College for inviting pro-abortion commencement speaker, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. He urged Boston College to "work to redress the confusion, disappointment and harm caused by not adhering to the Bishops' directives." Cardinal O'Malley also publicly opposed Ireland's proposed abortion law, which PM Kenny has staunchly advocated. Read the details about Cardinal O'Malley's boycott at Catholic Education Daily .

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, also said : “In the midst of the darkness of this tragedy, we turn to the light of Jesus Christ, the light that was evident in the lives of people who immediately turned to help those in need today. We stand in solidarity with our ecumenical and interfaith colleagues in the commitment to witness the greater power of good in our society and to work together for healing.” Let's continue to pray for the victims and their families as well as the first responders.

April 16, 2013. (Romereports.com) Pope Francis joined a chorus of world leaders expressing their condolences to the victims of two deadly explosions that disrupted the Boston Marathon on Monday. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's Secretary of State, send a telegram on behalf of Pope Francis to Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley. In it, the Pope expressed his “sympathy and closeness in prayer,” with the victims of this “senseless tragedy.” He also prayed for peace of the people killed, and consolation and strength for the survivors and emergency responders. The telegram ends with the Pope's call to unity and to face evil by doing good. FULL TEXT: HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL SEAN O’MALLEY ARCHBISHOP OF BOSTON DEEPLY GRIEVED BY NEWS OF THE LOSS OF LIFE AND GRAVE INJURIES CAUSED BY THE ACT OF VIOLENCE PERPETRATED LAST EVENING IN BOSTON, HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS WISHES ME TO ASSURE YOU OF HIS SYMPATHY AND CLOSENESS IN PRAYER. IN THE AFTERMATH OF THIS SENSELESS TRAGEDY,...

Cardinal Sean O'Malley writes very eloquently about his presence at Senator Kennedy's funeral . Please read the post first and let us know your thoughts. Should he have attended the funeral? Should the funeral have been open to the public? Should it have been held at a Catholic Church? Was there anything about the funeral that you found distasteful?  What bothered you the most about the Kennedy funeral? Was there anything that you found uplifting about the funeral? Update : Cardinal Lashes out at Pro-Lifers, Soft-Pedals Criticism of Kennedy Abortion Support

The following is a statement from American Life League president Judie Brown regarding Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s announcement that archdiocese-affiliated Caritas Christi Healthcare has withdrawn ownership of CeltiCare Health Plan. The announcement comes only two days after A.L.L. announced it would launch an investigation into the scandal. “Praise God! After months of tireless effort from American Life League and pro-life heroes in Boston and around the country to expose a potential scandal only days away from becoming a tragic betrayal of Catholicism’s unwavering commitment to the dignity of the human person, Cardinal Sean O’Malley has heard our voices and will end the joint venture with abortion-providing Centene Corp! We profoundly thank Cardinal O’Malley for his courage, leadership and pastoral concern for the health and well-being of those youngest members of his archdiocese. He has set a beautiful example of dedication and charity for those poorest of the poor – the prebo...