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A fourteenth century reliquary that was stolen from a museum in the 1980s has been recovered. The reliquary, along with ten other sacred artifacts, were found by police in a collector’s home in Italy. The Vatican Museums will now spend the next six months restoring the items, and then the reliquary and other sacred objects will be returned to the archdiocese from which they were stolen.
A Mexican priest was able to give general absolution to the victims of a train accident in Mexico City earlier this week. Father Juan Ortiz says he reached the scene of the accident, which killed 24 people, soon after it happened, and he absolved the victims’ sins. Priests are allowed to give general absolution if the faithful are in danger of death, and there is no time to hear their sins individually.
Pope Francis will issue an apostolic letter next week on the ministry of catechist. Catechists are lay Christians who teach the Gospel under the direction of a missionary. Pope Francis’ letter, which is set to be released on May 11, will, quote, “formally establish the ministry of catechist, developing that evangelizing dimension of the laity called for by Vatican II.”
Catholic bishops in Texas have voiced opposition to a bill allowing certain adults to carry handguns without permits, which they say, quote, “advances a culture of violence.” The bill would allow all Texas residents over 21 to carry a firearm, provided they are not otherwise prohibited from doing so by state or federal laws. In an open letter to Texas lawmakers and Catholics, the state’s Catholic bishops said the bill, quote, “fails to reflect a commitment to life or a vision of hope.”
Catholic aid groups in India, including Catholic Relief Services and Caritas India, are mobilizing to bring aid as the coronavirus outbreak worsens. India recorded over 400,000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and is also averaging about 3,500 deaths per day. Catholic Relief Services says one of their top priorities at the moment is expanding vaccine education in hard-hit areas.
Today the church celebrates St. Evodius of Antioch, who likely died around the year 67, and who was the first person to coin the word “Christian” to refer to the followers of Jesus.