World News
Pope, Moroccan king urge special care of Jerusalem
In a joint declaration signed March 30 at the royal palace in Rabat, the pope and king said they were "deeply concerned" for the city's "spiritual significance and its special vocation as a city of peace."
Education, dialogue essential for peace, say pope and king
Greeted by King Mohammed VI, a steady rain, ululating women and cheering crowds, Pope Francis arrived in Rabat March 30 for a 28-hour visit to Morocco.
In Jesus’ heart, the sinner is more important than the sin, pope says
Jesus does not view sinners as transgressors who must be punished according to the law, but as people in need of hope and freedom from sin, Pope Francis said.
Pope issues new child protection law, guidelines for Vatican City State
Pope Francis established the new norms and legal, criminal and safeguarding procedures with an apostolic letter given "motu proprio" (on his own initiative), published March 29. The law and procedures were to go into effect June 1.
Franciscans give Jordan’s king award for his peace, dialogue work
The annual award, known as the Lamp of Peace, recognizes King Abdullah II's tireless promotion of peace in the troubled Middle East, support of interreligious dialogue, welcome of refugees and educational reforms.
Betraying internal forum is a sin, pope tells confessors
In confession, the privacy of one's conscience before God, also known as the internal forum, must always be protected and not be used to influence decisions outside the confessional, Pope Francis said.
One-third of Canada’s churches to close within 10 years
Some 9,000 Christian churches will be sold, demolished or abandoned, says a preservation group. One bright spot is the Archdiocese of Toronto, which foresees no closures due to immigrants engaged in their faith.
Catholics urged to support Middle East Christians on Good Friday
"Greater cooperation and a generous commitment by Christians all over the world to their brothers and sisters of the Holy Land and the Middle East is needed," said the Congregation for Eastern Churches in its annual appeal.
Chilean court orders church to pay compensation to abuse survivors
In a decision announced March 27, the court ordered the church to pay 100 million pesos (about US$147,000) for "moral damages" to each of the survivors: Juan Carlos Cruz, Jose Andres Murillo and James Hamilton.
Vandals, arsonists target French Catholic churches
More than 10 churches have been hit since the beginning of February, with some set on fire while others were severely desecrated or damaged.