World News
Secrecy of confession must never be violated, Vatican says
Pope Francis ordered the publication of a document July 1 affirming the absolute secrecy of everything said in confession and calling on priests to defend it at all costs, even at the cost of their lives.
Vatican publishes itinerary for papal trip to Africa Sept. 4-10
Pope Francis' sixth foreign trip of 2019 will take him to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius Sept. 4-10, the Vatican announced.
Northern Canadian bishops paying close attention to married priest discussion
The Vatican put a discussion about married priests on the agenda for the Oct. 6-27 Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region. Like the Amazon, Canada's North faces a severe shortage of priests and a complete absence of indigenous priests.
Pope to worldwide prayer network: Heart of church’s mission is prayer
Prayer helps men and women to view reality through the eyes of faith and to have a spiritual outlook on life in order to see God working in their lives, Pope Francis said.
Bishops make pilgrimage to tombs of an apostle and Aboriginal boy
Bishop Christopher A. Saunders of Broome led the prayers June 26 for an Aboriginal boy from Australia brought to Rome by a Benedictine priest who was convinced the young man would return home as a great evangelist of his people.
Unity in church prevails over division, retired pope tells journalist
"The unity of the church is always at risk" and has been throughout its history, but "its unity always has been stronger than its internal struggles and wars," said retired Pope Benedict XVI.
Amid tensions in China, Vatican tells clergy to follow their conscience
The Vatican has told bishops and priests in China that they must follow their own consciences in deciding whether to register with the government, and it urged Catholics in the country not to judge them for the choices they make.
Bishops in Ivory Coast warn communal tensions could lead to civil war
Bishops in the Ivory Coast have warned of a new civil war in the run-up to 2020 elections, unless urgent action is taken to ease communal tensions and withdraw weapons in West African state.
Pope, Council of Cardinals review feedback, proposals for new document
Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals reviewed proposals and questions submitted to them about the draft of the apostolic constitution that would govern the Roman Curia, the Vatican's interim spokesman said.
Congo’s bishops want president to reestablish law in country’s east
Congo's bishops said territory in the east of the country is being ceded to violent extremists, who are using the lack of government control to massacre civilians and plunder resources.