USCCB offers worship aids for upcoming life vigil

A link to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ page about the upcoming Vigil for All Nascent Human Life that Pope Benedict XVI has urged all diocesan bishops in the world to organise and preside over on 27 November. The USCCB offers some helpful worship aids for parishes to organise said vigil. The vigil coincides with the first Vespers of Advent, and so is firmly part of the lead-up to the new Church year. Perhaps it can be the start of renewed focus on the defense of all human life, from conception to natural death, especially in those countries and areas where that has been lacking. I hope that bishops, priests and laity take the invitation of the pope seriously and will unite in prayer with their brothers and sisters all over the world at the start of Advent.

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Pope Shenouda III in Haarlem

On Saturday, Pope Shenouda III visited his Coptic flock in the Netherlands. The heavily secured church meeting in the Basilica of St. Bavo in Haarlem was very well-attended and took place in the presence of both the ordinary and the auxiliary of Haarlem-Amsterdam, Monsignores Jos Punt and Jan van Burgsteden.

Pope Shenouda and Bishop Punt

In a long address to the Coptic faithful in the Netherlands, Pope Shenouda urged them to keep the faith of their homeland. A more extensive photo gallery can be viewed here.