National News

Peruvians carve life-size Way of the Cross for new Las Vegas parish

Five young Peruvian stone carvers have spent the past year fashioning the life-size Stations of the Cross from six-foot-tall blocks of Italian marble for a parish in the United States.

Bishops say Syria peace can only come through ‘dialogue, reconciliation’

Officials of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops April 7 urged renewed peace efforts for Syria, echoing Pope Francis' call for "dialogue and reconciliation" as the only way to attain peace in a country rocked by an ongoing civil war.

After rules change, Senate confirms court nominee Gorsuch in 54-45 vote

McConnell changed Senate rules to allow Gorsuch to be confirmed with a simple majority vote, rather than needing 60 votes, to counter a Democratic filibuster.

Faith inspires artist to feature homeless in portraits of compassion

Mary Larson has become known in the Seattle area and beyond for creating vivid portraits of her patients at Harborview Medical Center's Pioneer Square Clinic.

Professor teaches Twitter course on St. Augustine’s ‘City of God’

Students in professor Chad Pecknold's newest class come from Canada, Uruguay, France, Germany, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and all across the United States, but two things unite them all -- a printed copy of St. Augustine's "City of God" and their Twitter accounts.

Catholic leaders in Syria criticize U.S. missile strikes

Two prominent Catholic leaders in Syria criticized the U.S. missile strikes against their nation, wondering why they occurred before investigations into the origins of chemical attacks reported April 4.

Pew study shows Christianity’s growth will be in global South

Most of Christianity's future growth is likely to be in the global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where the Christian population is relatively young, according to a new analysis from the U.S.-based Pew Research Center.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s effort eyes giving poor people a voice

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is looking to bring people living in poverty together with business leaders, social service providers, government agencies and faith communities under a new neighborhood-based initiative to find long-term solutions to the challenges of being poor.

Bishops say church committed to addressing ‘scourge’ of human trafficking

Decrying "the evil of human trafficking" as an "international, national and local scourge," three Catholic bishops whose dioceses cover portions of Maryland said their state "is not immune from this tragic reality."

Cardinal, other pro-life leaders praise decision to defund U.N. agency

UPDATED - The U.S. State Department announced that it would no longer contribute to the U.N. Population Fund because of the agency's involvement in China's Population and Family Planning Law, long known as the "one-child policy."