National News

Texas Catholic Conference disappointed by court ruling on abortion law

The Supreme Court ruling prevents enforcement of the law until the fall when the high court will decide if the justices should hear an appeal from a lower court.

Block on Kansas law said to leave unborn ‘vulnerable to painful death’

A judge granted an injunction against the state law that would ban an abortion procedure that is commonly used during the second trimester of pregnancy.

High court upholds execution by lethal injection

The court upheld lower courts that said the use of the drug midazolam in lethal injection does not violate Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Catholic media urged to unpack deeper meanings in pope’s sound bites

Catholic journalists could easily "remain on the surface" when reporting on Pope Francis with his great photo opportunities and "buzz-catching expressions," but they need to take their coverage a step further, said Basilian Father Thomas Rosica.

Implications of marriage ruling unclear, but far reaching

The ramifications of the June 26 same-sex marriage ruling could result in hundreds of new laws at the national, state and local levels, said Baltimore's archbishop.

USCCB president calls Supreme Court ruling on marriage ‘tragic error’

UPDATED - "Regardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable," said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky.

Court rules same-sex marriage legal nationwide

UPDATED - "The nature of marriage is that, through its enduring bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spirituality," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the 5-4 majority. "This is true for all persons, whatever their sexual orientation."

South Carolinians pay tribute to slain pastor-senator, other victims

Thousands of mourners stood together for hours on a brutally hot day, waiting patiently for the chance to pay their respects. Strangers struck up conversations, sharing fans and umbrellas against the sun; showing through their actions once again that even though an act of hate had brought them there, it had no place in their midst.

Health care subsidy ruling hailed by many, but criticism continues

The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling that upheld federal subsidies to keep health insurance premiums affordable regardless of whether the state or federal government runs the exchange system was welcomed by the president as well as by several religious organizations and stockholders in health care systems.

Wedding day transforms anniversary of near-death experience

May 22 is a day Andres "Chico" Gonzalez Jr., will never forget. That day, nine years ago, he was a young New Orleans police officer on duty with his partner, and they made what people who don't wear a badge call a "routine" traffic stop.