National News
Catholic Church continues, in new ways, to help immigrant population
There has been so much church involvement on this issue that a few of the panelists at the conference: "American Catholics and Immigration: Past and Present" said their allotted time to speak wasn't nearly enough to delve into the topic.
Potential buyer of Catholic hospitals in California backs out of deal
Prime Healthcare Services, a California-based hospital management company, backed out of a proposed $843 million deal to buy six not-for-profit Daughters of Charity Health System hospitals in the state because it said it found the terms of the sale "burdensome and restrictive."
Chrism Mass shows the rich history of ritual oils
Some of the Catholic Church's most ancient traditions are witnessed during Holy Week, including the preparation, blessing and distribution of holy oils for the church's sacraments around the world.
Archbishop: Marriage and family can inspire the world
The family is an instrument of evangelization and it can influence others more than people realize, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz said at the Catholic University of America.
Catholic college won’t offer federal loans, citing overreaching regs
The Catholic college in Wyoming is the third such institution to drop participation in the federal student loan program, citing requirements of the HHS contraceptive mandate. Private aid will still be offered.
Court says Milwaukee cemetery fund can be considered in reorganization
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled March 9 that it would not violate the free exercise of religion to consider the Milwaukee Archdiocese's cemetery trust fund in its Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings.
Congress urged to take multi-prong approach to religious persecution
A U.S. bishop who recently visited with refugees in Iraq told a Senate subcommittee March 11 that a multi-pronged approach is needed to combat a wide range of humanitarian problems including religious persecution.
Brookings study finds higher abortion rates among affluent women
A recent study released by the Brookings Institution in Washington finds that single women whose income is 400 percent of the federal poverty line or higher are nearly four times as likely to opt for an abortion when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
After his two years as pope, ‘Francis effect’ has taken hold
Pope Francis provides both comfort and challenges to Catholics, according to a panel of U.S. Catholic leaders March 10. He is "reimagining how the church presents itself to the world," said one speaker.
Bishops urge people to pray for those who face religious persecution
Leaders of the U.S. bishops' conference invited people to pray for "those facing the stark reality of religious persecution in the Middle East and elsewhere."