News
Delicate art of diplomacy needed to build peaceful future, pope says
Diplomats share a responsibility to educate future generations about the importance of dialogue and reconciliation in maintaining peace, Pope Francis said.
Year in review: Nuclear threat raises tensions in U.S., Asia, worldwide
The ratcheting up of North Korea's missile testing, and fears that it also is advancing in its quest to launch a nuclear weapon, has gotten the attention of virtually everyone within range of any North Korean-fired missile and leaders worldwide, including Pope Francis.
After terrorism attempt, Trump calls for end to immigration programs
While many Catholics took to social media asking for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the life of migrants who have come to the U.S. seeking a better life, President Donald Trump called, on Dec. 12, her feast day, for an end to two immigration programs.
Friars in historic California mission briefly evacuate after fire fears
A group of 27 friars from Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California, voluntarily evacuated late Dec. 7 as winds kicked up during a wildfire in their area that burned through 4,000 acres, destroying 157 structures and damaging 64 others.
Bishop Luong dies; he was ‘a blessing’ to Vietnamese Catholics in U.S.
Bishop Dominic M. Luong, the first U.S. Catholic bishop of Vietnamese descent and the founding father of the Vietnamese Catholic community in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, died Dec. 6 in Orange, California. He was 76.
Pope wants church to be voice of the poor in Amazon
A Brazilian archbishop said Pope Francis' decision to convene a Synod of Bishops in 2019 dedicated to the Amazon shows he is seeking a voice for the voiceless living in the region that has experienced significant deforestation.
Fundraising starts to aid victims of Southern California fires
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has started a fund for victims of the wildfires that have raced through the archdiocese and were threatening to spread to locations in the nearby Orange and San Diego dioceses.
Hold the phone: Vatican says Pope Francis doesn’t use WhatsApp
While the thought of receiving a blessing by text from Pope Francis could have millions of mobile users glued to their smartphones, a Vatican spokesman said via Twitter that isn't the pope's style.
New Vatican news site ready to launch before Christmas
The Council of Cardinals learned that a new multimedia communications website for the Holy See will launch soon, at the request of the pope and the cardinals. The council not only is seeking to reform the curia, but change "mentalities."
Philippine Congress extends martial law in southern Philippines
Lawmakers approved a request by President Rodrigo Duterte to extend martial law in the region for another year to root out terrorists communist-led guerrillas. Critics fear the imposition of martial law nationwide.