News
Syrian Christian refugees ponder their plight at Christmas
"Just see how Christians in Iraq were targeted on our sacred holiday, Christmas Day, in Baghdad," said Syrian Christian Abu Reda in Jordan, referring to bomb blasts that left at least 37 dead. "Christians are being targeted in Syria. I was one and that's why we fled here."
New CLINIC chairman approaches immigration reform as ‘pastor of souls’
Bishop Kevin Vann, an immigration reform advocate, leads the Orange (Calif.) Diocese that is home to the largest Vietnamese community outside Vietnam and encompassing one of the 10 U.S. counties with the greatest Hispanic population.
Archbishop: Rulings to allow same-sex marriage ‘imposed wrong decision’
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- As 2013 was drawing to a close, same-sex marriage became legal in two more states with rulings in New Mexico and Utah, which San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone strongly criticized.
Egyptian bishop vows violence won’t stop democracy
CAIRO (CNS) -- A Dec. 26 attack in Cairo and other violence will not keep Egypt from going ahead with its planned referendum on a new constitution, said Coptic Catholic Bishop Antonios Aziz Mina of Giza, Egypt.
Vatican news highlights of 2013
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In terms of Vatican news, 2013 was surely one of the most eventful years in living memory. We review some of the highlights.
Rulings in HHS lawsuits deliver mixed results for Catholic employers
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A U.S. District Court judge Dec. 20 changed a preliminary injunction to a permanent one barring enforcement of the federal health care law's contraceptive mandate against the Pittsburgh and Erie dioceses.
Photo of the day
Pope Francis receives a letter from a child during a visit to the Bambino Gesu children's hospital in Rome Dec. 21. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters)
Fracking debate examines America’s quest for energy
The stances of two Pennsylvania Catholics sharing one faith illustrate the divide over how to develop vast natural gas deposits in shale formations across the United States. A three-part series explores the industrial process for extracting the gas, known as slick water hydraulic fracturing, the human dimensions of the debate and the insights of Catholic social teaching.
Advances in drilling technology led to fracking’s rapid expansion
The use of hydraulic fracturing in the U.S. to extract natural gas goes back more than 60 years. These days the Marcellus Shale under Pennsylvania is among the most active natural gas plays in the country. Along with the rapid development comes questions about safety and environmental protection.
Catholic voices raise moral concerns over fracking
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In ongoing national discussions about the mining of natural gas, Catholic voices are not necessarily taking sides while decidedly upholding the church's social teaching on the importance of protecting creation and promoting the common good.