National News
President takes travel ban battle to U.S. Supreme Court — and Twitter
It's hard to say what impact the president's words -- and tweets -- will have on any decision by the high court, but he vented his frustrations against the courts calling them in tweets "slow and political."
Catholic advocates for immigrants assess how to win allies, combat fear
Frances McBrayer at Catholic Charities Atlanta has worked for the past few years with a dozen coalition partners to be a public voice for these newcomers.
U.S. Catholics join pope in praying for victims of London attacks
After celebrating Mass on Pentecost, June 4, with an estimated 60,000 people in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis offered public prayers for the victims of the attacks in London that left seven people dead and 48 others injured.
Theologian: Luther’s post-Vatican II impact traceable to Middle Ages
Three issues that arose during Luther's time were what German theologian Johanna Rahner called "a turn toward a more inward, intensive form of piety," the growing prominence of the notion of being saved through one's faith, and a "growing discontent with the ways the church acts as a spiritual mediator.
Trump pushes travel ban to U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking a way to implement the president's troubled executive order, which the other lower courts have blocked saying it unfairly targets Muslims, despite a revision.
Catholic organizations decry U.S. move to abandon climate accord
Catholic leaders said President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate change agreement snubs the needs of impoverished people around the world and avoids addressing the causes of global warming.
Vatican official urges use of language that builds trust among nations
Cardinal Peter Turkson, a top adviser to Pope Francis, questioned how well President Donald Trump's declarations of "America first" serve understanding across the broader global community.
Bishops: Senate health care bill must respect life, be ‘truly affordable’
Members of the U.S. Senate "have a grave obligation" to make sure their health care reform bill respects life, provides access to adequate health care "for all" and is "truly affordable," four U.S. bishops said in a letter to senators.
Trump’s decision to abandon Paris climate pact called ‘deeply troubling’
The head of the U.S. bishops' committee on justice and peace criticized the withdrawal from the climate accord but hoped the president "will propose concrete ways to address global climate change and promote environmental stewardship.”
Ecumenical group hosts welcome at Puerto Rico church for freed prisoner
Lopez Rivera, a decorated Vietnam veteran, was serving a 70-year sentence for seditious conspiracy. The charges stemmed from his participation in a group responsible for several bombings in the U.S. demanding Puerto Rico's political freedom.