World News
Colombian churches help Venezuelan soldiers who have deserted
As political unrest increases in Venezuela, hundreds of soldiers and police officers are deserting and seeking shelter in neighboring Colombia.
Service, not party affiliation makes a politician Catholic, pope says
What makes a politician "Catholic" is not party affiliation, but dedication to promoting the common good, particularly through listening to and empowering people who often are overlooked, Pope Francis said.
Ghanaian bishops seek prayer as nation celebrates independence, Lent
This year's Lent has special significance because Ash Wednesday, March 6, marks the celebration of Ghana's 62nd anniversary of independence, said the Ghana Bishops' Conference.
Vatican announces theme for World Day of Migrants and Refugees
Pope Francis wants Catholics to understand how concern for migrants and refugees is part of a much broader Christian concern for people in need.
Papal funds expand, renovate children’s clinic in Bangui
People will encounter Christ every time they encounter and are attentive to the needs of children, especially those who are suffering, Pope Francis said in a video message inaugurating the opening of an expanded pediatric clinic in Central African Republic.
Caring for the ill should include spiritual assistance, pope says
Offering care and healing is focused not just on "the disease of an organ or of cells but of the person in his or her entirety," Pope Francis said.
Pope announces access to wartime documents in Vatican Secret Archives
Researchers, particularly those interested in Catholic-Jewish relations, have pressed the Vatican to open the archives and allow a full study of Pope Pius' actions during the war, including what he did or failed to do for Jews during the Holocaust.
Swiss bishops, religious orders strengthen abuse reporting mandate
Just a few days after the Vatican summit on child protection and clerical sexual abuse, the bishops' conference and major religious superiors of Switzerland adopted new guidelines, which include mandatory reporting of all allegations to the police.
Pakistani Catholic groups join protest against military escalation
The archbishop of Lahore and other clerics prayed at an interfaith meeting for peace after India and Pakistan conducted airstrikes on each other's territory. Tensions have been high since 40 Indian troops were killed by terrorists.
Robotics needs ethical guidelines, speakers say at Vatican meeting
As robotics play an increasingly greater role in today's world, their technological capabilities must not outpace ethical concerns, said a number of speakers at the Pontifical Academy for Life's workshop on "Robo-ethics: Humans, Machines and Health."