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The newest cardinal-elect of the island nation of East Timor says he was completely surprised by his appointment by Pope Francis over the weekend. “When I heard this news, I was so shocked I almost fainted,” Archbishop Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Silva told reporters May 30. "I never dreamed of this and I never looked for it.” East Timor, or Timor-Leste, occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor, which it shares with Indonesia. The population of the country, which was colonized by Portugal, is nearly 98% Catholic. Pope Francis had on Sunday announced the names of 21 men whom he will create as cardinals in August. Da Silva, a priest of the Salesians of St. John Bosco, has led the local Church of Dili since 2016.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251420/east-timor-cardinal-elect-almost-fainted-when-he-heard-pope-francis-had-chosen-him
A Catholic woman who sued the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office claiming her son was cremated in violation of her religious beliefs will likely soon receive a settlement of nearly half a million dollars. Maria Elvira Quintanilla Cebreros, a Tijuana, Mexico woman, alleges that L.A. county failed to notify her of her son’s death after he went missing three years ago, and also cremated his remains without her permission. Earlier this month, the Office of County Counsel recommended a $445,000 settlement. The Catholic Church teaches that cremation, while strongly discouraged, can be permissible under certain restrictions. A person’s ashes are not to be scattered, nor kept in the home or preserved in mementos or jewelry, but instead must be “laid to rest in a sacred place," such as in a cemetery or church.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251418/catholic-woman-may-receive-settlement-over-her-sons-cremation
Eleven of the Uvalde shooting victims were parishioners at the city’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and their funerals will be held there over the next two and a half weeks. Although there will be 11 funerals, 12 lives will be commemorated and prayed for, as Joe Garcia, the 50-year-old husband of one of the teachers who was killed, Irma Garcia, will share the same funeral Mass as his wife. Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio will be the celebrant for the Garcias’ funeral Mass, which will take place this morning.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251417/eleven-funerals-to-take-place-at-uvaldes-catholic-church-in-coming-weeks
Today, the Church celebrates Saint Justin Martyr, an avid lover of truth with an interest in philosophy who admired Christians from a distance because of the beauty of their moral lives. After a life-changing conversation with an old man, the aspiring philosopher eventually decided to be baptized around the age of 30. Justin was most likely ordained a deacon, since he preached, did not marry, and gave religious instruction in his home. He is best known as the author of early apologetic works which argued for the Catholic faith against the claims of Jews, pagans, and non-Christian philosophers. He also wrote a very early description of the Mass and the Eucharist. Justin was scourged and beheaded by the prefect of Rome along with six companions who joined him in his confession of faith.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-justin-martyr-486