World News
Churches provide refuge to Kenyans fleeing al-Shabab attacks
About 2,000 people are hiding in two churches and a school in Kenya near the Somalia border. A Catholic priest said militants ask people to say their faith, and "those found to be Christians are killed."
Parents of Charlie Gard end legal struggle for help
UPDATED - Pope Francis is praying for the parents of Charlie Gard after a U.S. doctor told them nothing could be done to help their son, who most likely will die before his first birthday Aug. 4.
Chinese official indicates Beijing to retain tight grip on church
Yu Zhengsheng told members of the open church community "to ensure that the leadership of the Chinese Catholic Church is held firmly in the hands of those who love the nation and the religion."
In Jericho, new Franciscan youth center offers chance to meet ‘the other’
An outgrowth of the Good Shepherd Sports Club, the center was built on Franciscan-owned property and financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development, American Near East Refugee Aid and IREX, a U.S. nongovernmental organization.
Colombian martyrs: witnesses to the point of death
Pope Francis' decree to beatify two Colombian martyrs from two troubled eras in the South American country's history underscores his call for courageous witness amid violence and persecution.
Jerusalem Christian leaders concerned with increased tension in Old City
The heads of Jerusalem's Christian churches expressed "serious concern" over an escalation in tensions in Jerusalem's Old City as hostilities remained high following the mid-July shooting deaths of two Israeli policemen and three gunmen on the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
Church in Colombia a ‘prophetic voice’ for peace, priest says
The Catholic Church in Colombia not only has taken an active role in peace negotiations between the government and guerrilla groups, but also has remained close with countless innocents caught in the crossfire.
Pope’s visit to Colombia will highlight inequality in Latin America
When Pope Francis visits Cartagena in September, he will take his message of mercy and reconciliation to the streets where St. Peter Claver ministered to slaves and where racism persists.
Probe into elite German choir finds more than 500 boys were abused
An investigator hired by the Diocese of Regensburg has found a "culture of silence" at a church school where former students reported physical, emotional and sexual abuse against 49 members of the church from 1945 to the early 1990s.
Sierra Leone bishops say citizen action for peace key to 2018 elections
Catholic bishops there called on citizens to refrain from actions to destabilize the West African nation and to come together before next year's elections.