National News
Annual conference puts emphasis on values, ways to renew Catholic education
Some 350 Catholic education professionals gathered July 11-14 to focus on how liberal arts and "ordering the conscience" can spur "the joyful pursuit of faith, wisdom and virtue."
Pro-life leaders say bills OK’d by House ‘promote extreme abortion agenda’
Both an updated version of the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify a right to abortion into federal law, and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act are "outside the American mainstream" and go "far beyond Roe v Wade," said pro-life advocates.
USCCB issues annual report on compliance with abuse charter
The U.S. bishops' report on compliance with the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" shows that 2,930 victim survivors of sexual abuse in the church came forward with 3,103 allegations in the previous year.
Archbishop embarks on long path to end threat of nuclear war
With a new document that challenges conventional thinking about nuclear arms as deterrents, Archbishop John Wester of New Mexico thinks it's time for serious conversations about how to achieve nuclear disarmament.
Catholic journalists urged to face distrust of media, church head-on
A Notre Dame theologian suggested nuanced, not simply reactive, reporting as well as the big-picture context to stories, for readers and viewers increasingly apathetic toward both the Catholic Church and news media.
Congressman urges Europe to combat human trafficking
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith of N.J. told the OSCE's 57 member nations meeting in England to step up their efforts to strengthen laws combating modern-day slavery. Smith is leading anti-trafficking legislation in the U.S.
After fires set, pastor encourages people to remember ‘we are the church’
A Catholic church in the Washington suburb of Bethesda along with a Methodist and a Baptist church along the same road were victimized by arson and destruction of property the weekend of July 9-10.
Biden’s order on abortion called ‘deeply disturbing, tragic’
President Biden's executive order July 8 safeguarding access to medication abortion and emergency contraception, among other provisions, came under scathing fire by national pro-life leaders and a key archbishop.
Mass shootings ‘shockingly commonplace,’ bishops say
"It seems there are no days of the year when our nation is not grieving the latest mass shooting," said three key U.S. bishops. "It has not always been this way, and it is getting worse."
Sister Campbell, Trumka, 15 others receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Sister Simone Campbell, a longtime advocate for economic justice and health care, and late labor leader Richard Trumka received the nation's highest civilian honor in a White House ceremony July 7.