National News
Catholic Charities agencies assess damage, begin helping storm victims
UPDATED - Catholic Charities agencies joined emergency response efforts in coastal communities in four Southeastern states as residents and parish staffers began returning to assess the damage Hurricane Matthew left behind.
As outrage over lewd comments piles up, Trump struggles among Catholics
UPDATED - Catholics, like much of the nation, remain divided as to what matters in this election. Republican supporters both condemned Donald Trump's comments and defended the party's positions.
Cardinal-designate Cupich announcement doesn’t surprise Chicago Catholics
Cardinal-designate Cupich, who was appointed archbishop of Chicago in 2014, said he was "deeply humbled" by the pope's decision announced earlier that day that he would be joining 16 other new cardinals.
Cardinal-designate Tobin made news defending church aid to refugees
Last December, Cardinal-designate Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis made national news by defending the decision of his archdiocese to resettle a Syrian refugee family -- a decision that went against Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's ban on resettling Syrian refugees in the state.
Cardinal-designate Farrell has ‘deep pastoral roots,’ says USCCB president
Cardinal-designate Kevin J. Farrell had been the bishop of Dallas since 2007 but moved to Rome Oct. 6 to begin his new role as prefect for the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, only to find out three days later that he would be one of 17 new cardinals.
Death penalty ‘does not fulfill justice,’ say Texas Catholic bishops
The Catholic bishops of Texas Oct. 10 called for the abolition of the death penalty, denouncing its effects not only on victims and others immediately affected, but also on society.
Aid slowly makes its way to thousands of Haitians displaced by hurricane
The number of deaths reached 1,000 on Oct. 9, five days after the storm's 145-mile-an-hour winds and torrential rains slammed into the country, according to a tally by Reuters based on conversations with local officials.
Miami Archdiocese calls for prayers, prepares to help hurricane victims
UPDATED -- As Hurricane Matthew headed up Florida's Atlantic coast, it largely spared Miami and its environs. Storm surge flooding along the coast and into South Carolina prompted school closures through Oct. 10.
Archbishop points to ‘troublesome’ misuses of pope’s teaching on family
"While the exhortation does not contain any change in church teaching regarding marriage and family life, some have used 'Amoris Laetitia' in ways that do not correspond with the church's teaching tradition," Archbishop Sample wrote.
Hyde Amendment has a bipartisan past but a cloudy future
The amendment does more than bar the federal government from funding abortions through Medicaid -- although not everything pro-lifers may wish it could do -- and with the amendment's 40th anniversary just passed, it may do well to remember how it all came about.