News
Thieves break into Dublin church, steal head of mummy
Anglican Archbishop Michael Jackson of Dublin said he was shocked after thieves broke into a church in the Irish capital, vandalizing the crypt and taking the head of an 800-year-old mummy known as "the Crusader."
Poll: Big majorities of Democrats, young people reject late-term abortion
Americans have shifted toward a pro-life stance in recent weeks during a period when some states are considering legislation that would legalize abortion up until birth, according to a new poll.
Church advocates: Latin Americans understand God’s presence in nature
Throughout Latin America, people whose lives and land have been affected by industries that extract natural resources, such as mining or oil operations, find strength in their spirituality, church leaders say.
Pope: Humanity can be dangerously spellbound by hi-tech progress
Technology holds the potential to benefit all of humankind, but it also poses risky and unforeseen results, Pope Francis said.
Measure would lift confessional seal if penitent confesses to abuse
Under California state Democratic Sen. Jerry Hill's new bill, Catholic priests would be required to report to civil authorities if they learn in confession that a penitent has sexually abused someone.
‘Physician-assisted suicide is not medical care,’ doctor tells lawmakers
Saying that "medicine is a noble profession," a Catholic physician told Maryland lawmakers that "physician-assisted suicide fundamentally alters the physician's role in society."
Pope: No more excuses; time for ‘all-out battle’ against crime of abuse
The world has been aware of the "serious scandal" the abuse of minors by clergy has brought to the church and public opinion, both because of the dramatic suffering it has caused victims and because of the "unjustifiable negligence" and "cover-up" by leaders in the church, Pope Francis said.
Summit affirms need to hold bishops accountable, U.S. cardinal says
UPDATED - Several speakers were insisting that "any loopholes" existing in how bishops are treated -- if they are accused of abuse or of negligence in handling allegations -- "must be closed," Cardinal DiNardo told Catholic News Service.
Archbishop Coleridge: ‘Copernican revolution’ needed to tackle abuse
The Catholic Church needs a true conversion that places survivors, and not the institution, as the focus of its concern as it enacts measures to combat the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people, said Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane.
Measures to help protect minors are imminent, summit moderator says
While the four-day Vatican summit on the protection of minors has ended, the work to ensure that laws and concrete actions are in place is just beginning, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.