News
Vatican official: Prohibit ‘killer robots’ now before they become reality
The development of robotic weapons or "killer robots" will provide "the capacity of altering irreversibly the nature of warfare, becoming more detached from human agency, putting in question the humanity of our societies."
Religious leaders in Colombia form coalition to defend rainforests
The group of more than a dozen faith leaders called on Colombia's government to uphold the land rights of indigenous people who are living in the country's jungles.
From beach to basilica: ‘Sand Nativity’ brings unique style to Vatican
From the beach town of New Smyrna, Florida, just a stone's throw away from Daytona Beach, Rich Varano never imagined his unique talent of sculpting sand would take him to the heart of Christianity.
Canadian bishops restore some funds to aid agency as study continues
The funding tap is flowing again for Development and Peace, although it remains closed for 52 partner organizations that continue to be investigated for alleged connections to abortion, artificial contraception and other possible conflicts with Catholic teaching.
Catholic migrant advocates have mixed reaction to Tijuana border events
Resources for sustaining thousands of migrants in Tijuana are stretched thin and the current U.S. government has showed few signs of speeding up the process for accepting asylum applications.
CDC report shows continued decline in U.S. abortion rate
UPDATED - The abortion rate in the United States has dropped eight of the last nine years, and the 638,169 abortions in 2015 were down 25 percent since 2006, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cardinal DiNardo calls CBS News series on church sex abuse ‘inaccurate’
The cardinal said the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston "responded to over 30 questions" by CBS about two archdiocesan priests, "only to see almost all of our responses completely ignored by the CBS team."
International group of women’s superiors urge sisters to report abuse
The International Union of Superiors General has called on women religious who have suffered abuse to come forward and report it to their congregations and church and state authorities.
Generating taxes from gambling is unethical, Vatican office says
Legalizing gambling fuels addictions, creating more and more compulsive gamblers, and using the industry as a source of tax revenue is unethical, said a major Vatican office.
New report says Islamic extremism spreading with defeat of IS in Mideast
Islamist extremists have increased violence in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia corresponding to their loss of territory in the Middle East, said a report from Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity helping persecuted Christians.