News
Mexican congressional committee votes against same-sex marriage plan
The Constitutional Points Committee rejected the initiative, which would have changed the constitution to allow same-sex marriages in all of the country. Committee members argued it would violate the rights of states to set their own civil registry rules.
Military chaplain says serving with U.S. troops ‘fulfills me immensely’
"I take this time of deployment as a long retreat," said Father Charles Awotwi, part of a chaplaincy team deployed across the Middle East and serving 5,000 soldiers who are "hungry for the sacraments."
Israeli religious leaders visit Auschwitz, condemn hate speech
"We repudiate racism, fanaticism and extremism, particularly when these are committed, allegedly, in the name of religion and, in so doing, desecrate religion," they said in a statement released Nov. 8.
Service dogs help some veterans cope with life after war
Before Dave King got Zack three months ago, he almost became a statistic -- about 20 American vets a day commit suicide, according to 2014 data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Trainers say public often misunderstands role, work of service animals
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, it is a civil right for those with disabilities to have a service dog by their side, despite "no pet policies" in places like restaurants and stores because federal guidelines are clear -- service dogs are not pets.
Texts of Argentina homilies come with pope’s notes on preaching
This record of his ministry in Argentina also shows how his words and gestures as pope come from a ministry that always focused on discernment and mercy, Cardinal Parolin said.
Collector says Vatican stamps, letters reveal fascinating church history
Greg Pirozzi, president of the Vatican Philatelic Society, has studied the behind-the-scenes work carried out in part through the mails by Vatican diplomats to help families track down the whereabouts of their military sons during years of war and world upheaval.
Bensalem soccer league, uniting Hispanic families, seen as model for U.S.
When a group of young men started a rec league at Our Lady of Fatima, they didn’t know the benefits would extend off the soccer field, nor that it would catch the attention of Catholic social justice advocates across the country.
Vatican rejects latest appeal of Bucks County parish merger
Some parishioners of the former St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bensalem, which merged with St. Thomas Aquinas in Croydon in 2014, had already lost their appeal to reverse the merger last April. Their appeal to that decision has also been denied.
On state ballot measures, voters reject most issues of Catholic concern
UPDATED - Voters passed an assisted suicide measure in Colorado, favored the death penalty in three states and approved legalized recreational marijuana in four states. They also rejected climate change measures in two states.