World News
Priest among five convicted of bishop’s 2005 slaying in Kenya
A Catholic priest was among five people found guilty and sentenced to death for the 2005 slaying of Italian Bishop Luigi Locati.
Pope says annulment process should be cheaper and more efficient
"Some procedures are so long and so burdensome ... people give up," Pope Francis said today in Rome. "We will have to see" if the annulment process will be made free of charge, he said, but added, "when the spiritual is attached to an economic interest, this is not from God."
Ban of gender-based abortion passes first vote in British Parliament
British doctors insist aborting baby of girls because of their gender is legal under Britain's 1967 Abortion Act. A new bill prohibiting sex-selective abortions would end the ambiguity by explicitly making them illegal.
Pope confirms retirement age of 75 for bishops
While all bishops offer to resign at age 75, those who are not cardinals and are working in the Roman Curia automatically end their service on their 75th birthdays, said a new document from Pope Francis.
Winter’s early arrival challenges Iraqi Christians who fled militants
Sister Habiba's kindly face is etched with sadness as she surveyed the muddy field where dozens of tents sheltering displaced Iraqi Christians once stood.
Pope Francis to open Vatican conference on traditional marriage
Archbishop Chaput will be part of a new interreligious meeting Nov. 17-19 on marriage, which comes a month after the Synod of Bishops on the family examined divorce, same-sex unions and other nonmarital relationships.
Praying for the dead, pope asks special prayers for victims of war
The early November feasts of All Saints and All Souls call Catholics to contemplate their ultimate destiny, hope in the eternal happiness of their beloved dead and remember the thousands of innocent people dying each day because of human evil and selfishness.
Syria’s war is part of regional humanitarian crisis, official says
A Vatican official who just returned from a visit to Syria said "the humanitarian situation is worse than I thought," and said the crises in Iraq and Syria should be seen as one.
Did Pope Francis get what he wanted from the synod?
Our analysis of the recently concluded Synod of Bishops on the family argues that the pope wanted a more assertive synod, one that stressed collective responsibility of the bishops over a mere advisory body to the pontiff.
Muslim-Catholic dialogue on Iranian weapons focuses on arms policies
Seven months after a delegation of U.S. bishops quietly met with Iranian religious leaders, their efforts appear to be on track to continue a dialogue on nuclear weapons and the role faith leaders may have in influencing arms policies.