The Vatican has updated its rules to stem the spread of COVID-19 and will require all its employees to be vaccinated against the virus or prove they have recently recovered from the disease.
In response to the current spike in COVID-19 cases across the United States due to the omicron variant, many colleges and universities have changed plans for the spring semester -- making much of January, or even just a few weeks of it, a back-to-virtual learning experience.
The year is ending pretty much the same way it started, with the United States wondering whether it will experience a surge in COVID-19 cases when the calendar changes numbers.
A recent article in the New York Times by Gina Kolata chronicles the remarkable story of a patient who for many years suffered from type 1 diabetes. After receiving a newly-developed form of embryonic stem cell infusion, he became able to live insulin-free, apparently cured of his blood sugar imbalances.
During the pandemic, parishes in the Diocese of Valle de Chalco on the outskirts of Mexico City have made care packages, taken meals to families of COVID-19 patients and operated food banks.
“As with all healthcare decisions, parents of students in our Catholic schools should carefully weigh the risks and benefits in consultation with their healthcare provider,” the memo stated.
Burials increased by 15% and cremations jumped 10% so far this year compared with 2020 at five cemetery sites overseen by The Catholic Cemeteries, likely driven by postponed committal services at the height of the pandemic, said Joan Gecik, executive director.
President Joe Biden's upcoming audience with Pope Francis presents an opportunity for the pontiff to inspire the U.S. leader to work more diligently to advance solutions on shared concerns such as climate change, COVID-19 vaccine distribution, stifling poverty and conflict in vulnerable countries, a Catholic Relief Services executive said.
Colin Powell once visited a Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Washington to encourage students there to appreciate the Catholic education they are receiving, to dream big and to work hard to achieve those dreams.
The increasing and extreme economic inequality in the world is rooted in an ideology of individualism in which investments and prosperity are aimed only at driving profit not helping the common good, said Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican foreign minister.
Three members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard have hung up their halberds rather than be vaccinated against COVID-19, and three others were temporarily suspended in early October as they were completing the vaccination cycle, the spokesman for the guards told a Swiss newspaper.
