Adult converts to Catholicism regularly cite three things about Catholicism that they find attractive: the sacrament of Confession, the pope and devotion to Mary, said New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Catholics who participate in events connected with the 2012-2013 Year of Faith can receive a special indulgence, the Vatican said.

Ignorance of the faith puts Christians at risk of following a “do-it-yourself” religion, Pope Benedict said.

Helen Alvare, former U.S. bishops’ pro-life spokeswoman, is the co-author and editor of a new book, Breaking Through, Catholic Women Speak for Themselves.

FR. RAYMOND DE SOUZA

The making of saints is a joyous affair, with a gracious spirit abounding toward all, and a determined effort to ignore any discordant notes.

Farm co-ops can provide the world with an “alternative vision” to government or international agriculture policies that place too much emphasis on profits, protecting certain markets or employing new technology that could prove dangerous, Pope Benedict said.

In a continuing effort to preserve the integrity of the liturgy, Pope Benedict has decreed that the rite of canonization of a saint will now be held prior to the Mass.

The Salvadoran government will open a tourist route in honour of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was killed by death squads in March 1980.

Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria, is the 2012 Pax Christi International Peace Laureate.

A two-year-old girl from Germany drinks water from a fountain just outside St. Peter’s Square.