World News

World Food Program wins 2020 Nobel Peace Prize

The world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security won the award for its work to combat hunger, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Irish archbishops seek meeting with prime minister about Mass suspension

Ireland's four Catholic archbishops want to talk with Prime Minister Micheál Martin about the fact that Ireland is the only place in Europe where worship has been halted in response to a new wave of COVID-19.

Pope: Pandemic revealed world’s false securities, lack of cooperation

The efforts of scientists to combat COVID-19 can be an example for the world on the importance of working together for the common good, Pope Francis told the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Eventual coronavirus vaccine should belong to everyone, pope says

If a COVID-19 vaccine becomes property of one country or group of countries, "we would not have learned anything from so much suffering," Pope Francis said in an interview.

German churches plan to continue talks on shared Communion

Leaders of the Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany will continue discussing shared Communion and liturgies, even though the Vatican has voiced strong objections.

Pope calls for politics to renew focus on the common good

The "social aggression" of social media has entered mainstream politics, but it should instead offer a way for all people to work together for the common good.al discourse, Pope Francis wrote in his new encyclical letter.

Papal letter highlights need for fraternity to counter war, cardinal says

Pope Francis' encyclical sees the need for human fraternity as a concrete path toward peaceful coexistence in a world fraught by war, said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

‘Fratelli Tutti’ shows need for dialogue in the church, speaker says

Controversy over the title of Pope Francis' new encyclical -- meant to address brothers and sisters -- illustrates how the Catholic Church itself must encounter and listen, just like society does, said a British theologian.

Papal encyclical outlines God’s call for all to live as brothers and sisters

Recognizing that all people possess an inherent dignity has consequences for how people should treat one another and make decisions in politics, economics and social life, Pope Francis wrote in a new document Oct. 4.

Russia’s Catholic Church warns against proposed curbs on clergy

Catholic leaders criticized legal changes that will require clergy who studied abroad to retrain in a Russian college, including "having to send our archbishop back to seminary for a course in Russian history and spirituality."