World News
Art can inspire people to build sustainable future, says Vatican official
In a world of different religions, cultures and languages, art has the capacity to bring people together and inspire them to take action in addressing critical challenges, said a Vatican official.
Benedictine abbot leads pope, curial officials in Lenten retreat
Pope Francis and 64 members of the Roman Curia left the Vatican March 10 and were driven out to the Pauline Fathers' retreat house in Ariccia, about 20 miles south of Rome, for the retreat, which was to run through March 15.
Four CRS staffers, humanitarian workers aboard Ethiopian jet that crashed
UPDATED - Four Catholic Relief Service staff members on their way to a training session in Nairobi, Kenya, were among the passengers aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed moments after takeoff in the east African nation.
Answering God’s call demands courage to take a risk, pope says
"Every vocation is a summons not to stand on the shore, nets in hand, but to follow Jesus on the path he has marked out for us, for our own happiness and for the good of those around us," he said in his message for the 2019 World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
Diocese concludes inquiry of French priest’s martyrdom
Father Jacques Hamel was killed July 26, 2016, when two men stormed a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen while he celebrated Mass.
Don’t waste time talking to the devil, pope says at Angelus
When responding to the devil's temptations during his 40 days in the desert, Jesus "does not enter into dialogue, but responds to the three challenges only with the Word of God," the pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Hunger, brain drain, disruptions: Church working to help Venezuelans
Catholic Church leaders in Venezuela say a peaceful transfer of power from embattled President Nicolas Maduro to a transitional government, probably led by National Assembly president Juan Guaido, is the best hope for the crisis-wracked country.
At National People’s Congress, China recommits to molding religions
The push to make religion more culturally Chinese is seen by experts as an attempt by the Communist Party to bring religions under its absolute control. Christian leaders plan to integrate "Chinese elements" into church life.
Christians and Jews must join to fight hatred, promote women, pope says
Engaging in any form of anti-Semitism is a direct contradiction with the Christian faith, Pope Francis said.
Pope: World in need of ‘ecological conversion’ to advance sustainability
Without a change of attitude that focuses on the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants, efforts to achieve the U.N.'s sustainable development goals will not be "sufficient for a fair and sustainable world order," the pope said.