National News
Most Catholics aren’t searching for spirituality online, study says
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Most U.S. Catholics are not looking for spirituality online, in fact, half of them are unaware the church even has an online presence, according to researchers at Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. The most widely used communication tool in Catholic Church is the parish bulletin, followed by a […]
The economic and moral dimensions in debt-ceiling debate
Economics professors from Villanova and other universities consider one of the biggest economic decisions the United States has ever faced: Do we increase the national debt ceiling, or allow the federal government's borrowing power to run out Oct. 17? And what are the moral implications of either choice?
New California laws mean big jump in number of abortions, says bishop
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- New California laws allowing non-physicians to perform abortions and repealing some building regulations that govern abortion clinics "dramatically increase the availability of abortion" in the state, said the president of the California Catholic Conference.
Ambassador, priest pay tribute to Jesuits who perished in Holocaust
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CNS) — Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See joined Oblate Father Thomas B. Curran, president of Jesuit-run Rockhurst University in Kansas City, in laying a wreath Oct. 9 at a plaque on campus that pays tribute to the more than 150 Jesuits who died at the hands of the Nazis. “It is […]
Civilian chaplains now returning to ministry despite federal shutdown
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Civilian Catholic chaplains, unable to perform religious duties at U.S. military bases during the first weekend of the federal government shutdown, were getting back on the job as the shutdown continued into its second week. “We’re now being told priests can return to work,” said John Schlageter, general counsel for the Archdiocese […]
Immigration reform focus of prayer vigils in Virginia, Rhode Island
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (CNS) — As Catholics in more than 150 cities rallied and prayed for Congress to restructure the country’s immigration laws, parishioners at a northern Virginia parish asked God to “grant the miracle of reform” at a bilingual prayer vigil. Members and guests of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church Oct. […]
New Jersey pro-lifers cite power of prayer in effort to end abortion
MANVILLE, N.J. (CNS) -- Some pro-lifers get discouraged that bringing an end to abortion isn't happening overnight, but the power of prayer is making a difference, said Kevin Dugan, a parish pro-life ministry leader. For years members of Dugan's parish, Immaculate Conception in Somerville, have been joined by other faith communities in the Diocese of Metuchen to pray near a Planned Parenthood clinic in Manville. The effort is part of the 40 Days for Life campaign.
What the Supreme Court is thinking about today, and maybe later
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Supreme Court's docket for the term beginning Oct. 7 is notable -- from the perspective of the Catholic Church -- for a handful of cases accepted or in the pipeline that would refine previous rulings on free speech, public prayer and the Affordable Care Act.
Polls show majority of U.S. Catholics have favorable view of pope
A new poll from Quinnipiac University showed that 53 percent of American Catholics view Pope Francis favorably; 36 percent have a very favorable opinion of him and 4 percent view him negatively. The results were similar to a poll released Sept. 12 by the Washington-based Pew Research's Religion & Public Life Project Center, which that found 79 percent of Catholics have a favorable view of the pope and 4 percent thought poorly of him. The former poll also revealed a sampling of American Catholics' views on marriage and abortion.
Author Tom Clancy dies at age 66; was supporter of Catholic education
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Even after Tom Clancy became an international best-selling novelist whose fans included the likes of President Ronald Reagan, the Baltimore-born writer never forgot the role his hometown Catholic education played in giving him the tools to his success. Clancy, best known for works including "The Hunt for Red October" and "Clear and Present Danger," died Oct. 1 at age 66 after a brief illness at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.