National News
Student pro-life leader says she ‘won’t be bystander’ on abortion issue
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CNS) — Reagan Nielsen isn’t afraid of being screamed at, threatened or despised for her beliefs. The college junior, who grew up in Monument and is receiving national attention for her pro-life work, said she is used to it. “It helps when you know that you are on the right side of […]
President of Assumption College named chair of National Review Board
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Francesco C. Cesareo, president of Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., will become the next chair of the National Review Board in June. He succeeds Al Notzon III, whose term ends after the U.S. bishops' spring assembly June 10-14 in San Diego.
Bishops: Immigration bill on right track, some changes sought
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Without getting into specifics, a panel of bishops said April 22 that a comprehensive immigration bill introduced the week before is on the right track, though they alluded to some aspects they would like changed. In a teleconference about the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, or S. […]
Build ‘civilization of love’ in response to bombings, cardinal urges
BOSTON (CNS) -- Even though "the culture of death looms large" today, the light of Christ the Good Shepherd "can expel the darkness and illuminate for us a path that leads to life, to a civilization of solidarity and love," said Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley.
Damaged Texas town swarmed with assistance, prayers, reporters
WEST, Texas (CNS) — The small town of West has been flooded with donations, disaster response teams, volunteers, news media and, perhaps most importantly, prayers since an explosion at a fertilizer plant the evening of April 17. The explosion killed 14 people and destroyed many of the homes within five blocks of the fertilizer plant. […]
Army begins investigation of training briefing that had labeled “Catholicism” an extremist group
WASHINGTON (CNS) — An informational slide that listed Catholicism, evangelical Christianity and other religious groups under the heading of “Religious Extremism” and was recently used in a training briefing for a group of about 100 Army Reserve soldiers has been removed from the presentation. But the fact these groups were ever put on a list […]
Bishop says failure on gun measure shows ‘failure in moral leadership’
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., said the U.S. Senate's failure "to support even modest regulations on firearms" is "a failure in moral leadership to promote policies which protect and defend the common good." The head of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development expressed "deep disappointment" that the lawmakers failed to pass gun-control legislation.
Manhunt intensifies for second Boston bombing suspect
Two brothers from the Russian region of Chechnya suspected in the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings are seen in a handout photo released through the FBI website April 18. The two men terrorized the Boston area overnight April 18, allegedly killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology security officer. One suspect, shown below at right and […]
Catholic Charities leaders plead for needs of poor with Congress
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The picture on Ted Bergh’s cellphone showed a long line of people winding around Springfield Central Catholic School in western Ohio. They were there April 13 to get food, he said; 733 families, 2,378 people in all. Bergh, CEO of Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio based in Cincinnati, was astonished by the […]
Rwandan genocide survivor becomes American citizen
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- At the end of a process that has taken her 15 years to complete, world-renowned Rwandan genocide survivor and peace advocate Immaculee Ilibagiza became an American citizen the morning of April 17 in New York City.