World News
Bible-preaching priest becomes social media star
In weekly one-minute videos, Venezuelan Franciscan Father Luis Antonio Salazar, 34, discusses key passages of the New Testament with the help of electronic music and special effects to 120,000 followers.
From sidewalk to swamp, wonders of creation abound
Whether it's the forests and waterways of the Amazon or life in the world's far-flung cities, people have "boxed everything into neat categories" and succumbed to a "disconnected view of creation and of humanity," said an observer at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.
Mexican bishops call for peace, conversion amid growing violence
Violence erupted in Culiacan Oct. 17 after Mexican security forces detained Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of "El Chapo," in mid-afternoon.
Synod groups: Ecology, violence, migration among challenges for church
The 12 small-group reports, published by the Vatican Oct. 18, were the result of reflections in groups organized by language; each group summarized its members' conclusions and offered proposals for the whole synod.
Lebanon’s Catholic patriarchs support protesters seeking economic reforms
Fueled by economic insecurity and deteriorating living conditions, a fifth day of protests Oct. 21 were sparked by government plans to impose new taxes.
At catacombs, synod members pledge simplicity, closeness to the poor
More than a half century after a group of bishops at the Second Vatican Council made a solemn pledge to live a simple lifestyle close to their people, a group of participants from the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon signed a new pact in the Catacombs of Domitilla.
Mission is to make disciples for Christ, not for one’s group, pope says
Every Christian is called to be a missionary, sharing the good news of salvation in Christ and making disciples for him, not for oneself or one's clique of like-minded believers, Pope Francis said.
Women’s role in Amazon church does not depend on diaconate, sisters say
Whether or not the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon helps open the door to ordaining women deacons, women will continue to play a fundamental role in ministry in the church in the region, religious sisters said.
Amazon synod groups propose new roles for ministry of men, women
Differences of opinion emerged on the possibility of ordaining married men as priests, while proposals arose to create a new liturgical rite and new ministries for laypeople, as well as the ordination of women deacons.
French bishops plan to open plenary meetings to lay participation
"There's a lot of discussion about clericalism in today's France, and when it comes to issues affecting everyone, the bishops have realized they need to reflect with laypeople, not just among themselves."