1. Slain nuns leave void in Mississippi community they served, By Jeff Amy. Associated Press, August 26, 2016, 7:43 AM.
In the rural Mississippi community they served, two nuns found slain in their home “would do anything for anybody,” friends said.
The women, both 68 and nurse practitioners, were found dead Thursday morning when they didn’t report to work at the nearby clinic where they provided flu shots, insulin and other medical care for children and adults who couldn’t afford it.
They were identified as Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill.
Dr. Elias Abboud, who worked with the sisters for years and helped build the Lexington Medical Clinic, said he’s not sure what will happen to the facility in light of their deaths.
“I think the community is going to be different after this. You need somebody with that passion to love the people and work in the underserved area,” Abboud said.
2. Retired Pope Benedict says it was his ‘duty’ to resign from papacy, By Junno Arocho Esteves. Catholic News Service, August 25, 2016, 10:40 AM.
Retired Pope Benedict XVI said in an interview that he felt a “duty” to resign from the papacy because of his declining health and the rigorous demands of papal travel.
While his heart was set on completing the Year of Faith, the retired pope told Italian journalist Elio Guerriero that after his visit to Mexico and Cuba in March 2012, he felt he was “incapable of fulfilling” the demands of another international trip, especially with World Youth Day 2013 scheduled for Brazil.
“With the program set out by John Paul II for these (World Youth) days, the physical presence of the pope was indispensable,” he told Guerriero in an interview, which is included in the journalist’s upcoming biography of Pope Benedict. “This, too, was a circumstance which made my resignation a duty,” the pope said.
3. Argentine saints-to-be reveal pope’s thinking on priests, nuns, and laity, By Inés San Martín, Vatican Correspondent. Crux, August 25, 2016.
It’s a well-known fact that, although he’s the head of the universal Church, Pope Francis has a special place in his heart for his home country Argentina, something often made evident when he gives improvised remarks citing his experiences in Buenos Aires and other parts of the country.
Although not quite willing to push them across the finish line by waiving the normally required miracles, as he’s done with a few other candidates, Francis’ support of three important saints-to-be from Argentina could easily be read as a reflection of the qualities he expects from priests, religious women and the laity.
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2016/08/25/argentine-saints-reveal-popes-thinking-priests-nuns-laity/
4. Coming soon: a meeting between Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, By Andrea Gagliarducci. Catholic News Agency, August 25, 2016, 12:24 AM.
Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, the Primate of the Anglican Communion, will meet in Rome Oct. 5 to celebrate First Vespers in the Basilica of San Gregorio al Celio.
Although the meeting hasn’t been made official yet, the news was confirmed to CNA by a high ranking member of the Anglican Communion in Rome. Other sources have since confirmed that the meeting will be held Oct. 5.
While the schedule has yet to be completely defined, Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby are set to meet amid two busy days in Rome for the Anglican primate.
