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Iowa priest honored posthumously for heroism as chaplain at Pearl Harbor
Father Aloysius Schmitt died during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 while helping others escape his ship, the USS Oklahoma. Seventy-six years later, Father Schmitt was awarded the Silver Star posthumously during a ceremony Dec. 7 at his alma mater, Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
Prepare way for the Lord with prayer, acts of charity, pope says
Advent is a time to make a renewed commitment to prayer and to caring for others, Pope Francis said.
‘Crowning jewel’ of national shrine, Trinity Dome Mosaic, dedicated
The dome mosaic is composed of more than 14 million pieces of Venetian glass covering more than 18,300 square feet of the dome's surface. Its completion marks the final step in finishing the work of the Upper Church that began in 1955.
God does not lead us into temptation, Satan does, pope says
The Italian bishops' television channel, TV2000, has been broadcasting a series of conversations between the pope and a Catholic prison chaplain looking at the Lord's Prayer line by line.
Vatican renews call for peace, negotiated solution on Jerusalem
Following days of violence and backlash after U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Vatican appealed for "wisdom and prudence" to prevail.
Iraq archbishop, Pence meet to discuss plight of persecuted Christians
Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda of Irbil, Iraq, met with Pence Dec. 4. The visit came during an extended visit the prelate made to the United States. Part of his trip included several events during and after the Week of Awareness for Persecuted Christians Nov. 26-Dec. 2.
Some see crunch time, others negotiation time, for immigration woes
Supporters of youth who came to the U.S. without documents as children descended on Washington, risking arrest and seeking attention from lawmakers during what they believe is the last window of opportunity this year to pass legislation to help the youth stay in the country.
Polish church spokesman dismisses EU threat over abortion legislation
The European Parliament said it would demand EU action if legislators went ahead with new restrictions, which were backed by 830,000 Poles in a petition introduced Nov. 30 before the Sejm, the Polish parliament's lower house.
Protests cause uncertainty in Bethlehem, but for now, pilgrims visit
Palestinians leaders called for three days of protests following U.S. President Donald Trump's Dec. 6 official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and demonstrations have broken out in the West Bank, Jordan and other parts of the Muslim world.
Rubio: U.S. foreign policy must be ‘infused’ with religious, other values
Sen. Marco Rubio stopped short of specific legislative proposals but spoke openly of religious faith as he offered support for beleaguered Christian communities under threat of Islamic State terror in the Middle East.