World News

Kabila accepts Congolese bishops’ offer to mediate crisis

Congolese President Joseph Kabila expressed support for Catholic bishops' efforts to mediate a constitutional crisis after he extended his term in office.

Vatican commission launches child protection website

The website -- www.protectionofminors.va -- eventually will include versions in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French, the commission said in a statement Dec. 6.

French bishop opens sainthood cause for foundress of Tyburn Nuns

A French bishop has opened the cause for canonization of a nun who claimed she saw a consecrated host turn to bloody flesh in the hands of a priest.

Pope says ‘Amoris Laetitia’ is result of listening, discernment

Everything in "Amoris Laetitia," Pope Francis' exhortation on the family, sprang from consultations with Catholics around the world and was thoroughly discussed by the bishops at the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family, Pope Francis said.

‘Tis the season, and Bethlehem businesses hope for a merry one

After two Christmas seasons in which the political reality had overtaken holiday cheer, people seemed primed to finally feel some merriment in Bethlehem.

Despite distance, Iraqi Christians keep the spirit of Christmas alive

Christmas, traditionally celebrated with loved ones, is a reminder of the exodus of Christians from Iraq and the Middle East to countries all over the world.

Congolese bishops renew offer to mediate election crisis

Catholic bishops in Congo have warned of chaos if government and opposition leaders fail to agree to a timeline for elections, and they reiterated their commitment to help arrange a compromise.

Helping others realize their potential is good business, pope says

Pope Francis pleaded with a group of billionaires to take seriously their personal obligation to share their resources and make a real commitment to doing business in a way that helps other people realize their potential, too.

In Ireland, doctors, church leaders tell the horrors of life in Syria

Fifty percent of Syria's hospitals and medical centers have been destroyed or looted and their staff kidnapped, tortured or slaughtered, a leading Syrian surgeon told members of the Irish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.

Orthodox patriarch says ‘Amoris Laetitia’ is about God’s mercy

Knowing the debate surrounding Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation on the family, Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople said the document "first and foremost recalls the mercy and compassion of God and not just moral norms and canonical rules."