News
Foes of death penalty address its ‘indefensible’ moral, economic toll
An Atlanta deacon hopes a summit he led will serve as a springboard for clergy and laypeople in families, workplaces and neighborhoods to "spread the truth about the death penalty."
Bishops urge more peace efforts to help displaced Iraqi Christians
Highlighting the ongoing plight of Iraqi Christian refugees who face another winter of displacement, 18 months after fleeing persecution by Islamic State militants, is also their top concern.
Prelate proposes opening church files to bring justice in Jesuit murders
A Salvadoran archbishop said the files on war crimes investigated in the 1980s by the church's legal aid office are available for the public and investigators probing the 1989 murders of six Jesuit priests and two women.
U.S. bishops show support for Little Sisters in Supreme Court case
Catholic and non-Catholic groups signed a legal brief in a case the high court will hear this year to decide whether a religious order and other ministries can be forced to comply with the government's contraceptive mandate.
Pope: Prayers of the faithful, not clergy, can make miracles happen
The pope recalled Hannah's tearful prayers to God for a child as he reflected on the day's first reading (1 Sm 1: 9-20) during his homily at the Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Ghanaian bishops: No Guantanamo prisoners in our backyard
The Catholic bishops of Ghana criticized the government for accepting two former prisoners of the Cuba base, urging authorities to "send these men back to wherever they came from" because they pose a danger to the country.
Young and alone, refugees find open door at Catholic home in Bucks County
Driven by violence and poverty but also dreams for the future, 10 unaccompanied boys from Latin America and other countries are finding safety, hospitality and encouragement at a Catholic Social Services group home.
The best legacy children can receive from parents is faith, pope says
Ensure this faith "not be lost, help make it grow and pass it on as a legacy," he told the parents and godparents of the 26 infant girls and boys he baptized in St. Peter's Basilica.
Warmth of mercy can overcome cold indifference, pope tells diplomats
In a lengthy speech Jan. 11 to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, the pope called on the world's governments to work together to combat the effects of a "culture of waste" that sacrifices "men and women before the idols of profit and consumption."
Credibility is on the line when Christians offer mercy, pope says in book
Pope Francis explained his comment "Who am I to judge?" about homosexual persons, and addressed criticism that his focus on mercy amounts to watering down church doctrine and tolerating sin.