News
Pope to visit Cuba first before heading to United States in September
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters April 22 that the pope has "received and accepted the invitation from the civil authorities and bishops of Cuba" and has decided to visit the island before going to the United States.
Bishop Braxton frames approach to talking about U.S. racial divide
Building a public address around his pastoral letter on the racial divide in the United States, Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville, Illinois, asked his audience to imagine themselves in a world where the Catholic Church's imagery and culture is Afro-centric.
St. Joseph’s U names first lay president
Mark Reed, a Philadelphia native and administrator at Fairfield University, becomes the first lay person named to lead St. Joseph's in its 164-year history.
Honduran activists hope pope’s climate encyclical gives them boost
Berta Caceres remembers the day when she and other Lenca indigenous leaders were allowed to return to the Gualcarque River in Honduras, after a court had banned her from the area because she was leading a protest against a hydroelectric dam.
Catholic advocate for climate change prepares for pilgrimage to COP21
Beginning in October, Naderev "Yeb" Sano will help lead the People's Pilgrimage from the Vatican. The pilgrimage will be made up of concurrent walks from spiritually significant locations in European cities; all will end in Paris where the U.N. Climate Conference, or COP21, will take place.
Church must remain vigilant in addressing abuse, USCCB president says
The U.S. Catholic Church spent a total of $150.7 million on child protection efforts and to address allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors in dioceses and religious orders between July 2013 and June 2014.
Pope: Everyone loses when culture doesn’t care about marriage, family
God's plan for fruitful, everlasting unions between a man and woman has been lost in a world filled with skepticism, distrust and hostility, Pope Francis said.
Atrocities show need to strengthen dialogue with Muslims, Vatican says
The Vatican said interreligious dialogue with the Muslim community must be strengthened given "the barbarism underway" by terrorists claiming to be Muslims.
Buddhists, Christians must join to fight modern slavery, cardinal says
"Dear friends, we share the conviction that modern slavery and human trafficking are grave crimes, open wounds on the body of contemporary society," said the message to Buddhists around the world.
Pope marks Earth Day with call to protect, cultivate, share resources
May the way people treat the earth "not be guided by greed, manipulation and exploitation, but rather may it preserve the divine harmony between creatures and creation," he said.