News

Panel: Efforts to protect life at all stages has never been more important

Stories from the lived experience of the speakers took the place of policy discussions during Georgetown University's first "Lives Worthy of Respect" conference Oct. 2.

Pennsylvanian sees making of a saint in Italian friend’s faith, sacrifice

"There was something different about Chiara," a young Italian woman who befriended Jennifer Pellegrine of Altoona, Pa., during a student trip to Rome. Now because of Chiara's courageous choice for life, she's being mentioned as a saint.

Communist-era Salesian priest beatified as martyr in Slovakia

A Slovak Salesian priest who died from torture and radiation poisoning after forced labor in Czechoslovakia's uranium mines is the latest communist-era martyr to be beatified.

Las Vegas Catholic churches, schools respond to shooting with prayers

UPDATED - "Many of our students' family members work in the hotels on the Strip so obviously there was a lot of concern when we started hearing of the horrible events that were occurring on Sunday evening," said Viatorian Brother Rob Robertson, a school counselor.

Do not let hate, violence ‘have the last word,’ says Las Vegas bishop

At an emotional interfaith prayer service at Guardian Angel Cathedral, Las Vegas Bishop Joseph A. Pepe told those filling the pews Oct. 2 that "in the face of tragedy we need each other."

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have faint hopes about pope’s visit

Less than 5 percent of the Rohingya know about the pope because many are illiterate and the ethnic minority community has been cut off from the rest of the world by the military and Buddhist extremists.

Building indigenous relations remains a priority for Canadian bishops

Bishop Lionel Gendron of Saint-Jean-Lonueuil, Quebec, said a possible papal visit was not a major topic at the bishops' plenary gathering Sept. 25-29, but reconciliation with indigenous people remains high on the conference's agenda.

Social innovators meet in Rome to seek news ways to build bridges

Five winners of the 2017 BridgeBuilder Challenge gathered in Rome to share their winning ideas, which range from launching tree-planting drones that will restore mangrove trees in Myanmar to providing ethical mining jobs to former combatants in Congo.

Forty Catholic institutions plan to divest from fossil fuels

The organizations cited the call of Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical, "Laudato Si', to take steps to protect the environment as well as the importance of making investments that lead to a carbon-neutral economy in an effort to address climate change.

Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala recalled for their devotion to faith

The Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala were among the early converts to Christianity in Mexico. They are considered the first martyrs in the Americas, "protomartires," because they were killed for their faith and will be canonized for that reason.