National News
Amid ‘supercharged’ politics, faithful urged to look to good news of Christmas
The Ukrainian Catholic bishops of the United States said in their Christmas message that Jesus himself "came into a world that was far from neat, peaceful or welcoming." They added that God "will never abandon us as we seek to live in holiness, dignity, and mutual love."
New trade deal a step up, Catholic leaders say
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is no panacea, according to Catholics involved in labor matters, but it is better than the North American Free Trade Agreement it is designed to replace.
Supreme Court to hear cases of fired Catholic school religion teachers
The court agreed Dec. 18 to take up the combined cases of two California Catholic schools that were sued by teachers they had fired who claimed they had been victims of job discrimination.
Sainthood sought for Catholic teacher of those with disabilities
Bishop Lawrence Persico Dec. 17 announced the opening of the canonization cause for Gertrude Barber of Erie, Pa., who dedicated her life to serving children and adults with intellectual disabilities/autism.
Prayer service at holidays consoles those grieving loss of loved ones
The loss of a loved one, whether it was recent or decades ago, is often felt more acutely during the celebrations of the holiday season.
News coverage clouding view of Vatican finances, authors say
Recent media coverage that points to potential financial misdealing at the Vatican is creating misperceptions about corruption and fails to explain how the world of finance works, say writers in a University of Notre Dame journal.
New report shows decreased use of death penalty in U.S.
Use of the death penalty in the United States continues to decrease, according to a report released Dec. 17 by the Death Penalty Information Center.
Thousands attend funeral Mass for slain New Jersey police officer
Thousands of people attended the Dec. 17 funeral Mass for Detective Joseph Seals, the police officer fatally shot Dec. 10 at a cemetery in Jersey City just prior to the deadly attack at a kosher grocery store in the neighborhood.
More aid from South Florida for Bahamas like an early Christmas present
In time for Christmas, a trailer loaded with supplies furnished through donations from Catholics and charitable foundations around the South Florida region, reached the Bahamas capital and port city of Nassau Dec. 7.
When it comes to pope, social media comments don’t always reflect reality
While facing sometimes angry criticism in social media, the pope repeatedly has encouraged journalists to "unmask" destructive news, guard against reporting "fake news" and to undertake their important work with humility in the search for truth.