World News
London council committee OKs exclusion zone around abortion clinic
A regulatory committee of Richmond Council voted Feb. 6 to make it a crime to attempt any form of interaction with staff or visitors to a center run by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in Twickenham, a suburban area of southwest London.
Spokesman for Central African bishops raises doubts about new peace deal
An official of the Central African Republic bishops' conference has raised doubts about a new government-rebel peace deal and urged the international community to give greater backing to the country's legitimate armed forces.
To ignore trafficking is to be complicit in the crime, pope says
Modern slavery "is not something from other times," Pope Francis said Feb. 8, an international day against human trafficking. Religious and lay volunteers know "the painful reality" and complexity of trafficking.
Trafficking statistics don’t reveal extent of modern slavery
Whether it be child labor, illegal adoptions, forced marriage, illegally obtained organs, sex trafficking, child soldiers or labor exploitation, the trafficking of men, women and children affects every country of the world.
Pope tells prison staff they must help inmates find hope
A prison sentence without hope serves no purpose other than to stir feelings of revenge and anger in inmates who are looking for a second chance in life, Pope Francis said.
Africa is also grappling with clerical abuse, say Catholic leaders
While there is a general view that the scandals are a challenge of the church in Europe and America, African officials confirm incidents, amid reports of some provinces expelling or defrocking priests.
Does God want religious diversity? Abu Dhabi text raises questions
Pope Francis and Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, stepped into a theological debate on the will of God toward religions when they signed a document on "human fraternity" and improving Christian-Muslim relations.
Pope, on flight, talks about dialogue, war, abuse of women religious
Pope Francis spent about 35 minutes answering reporters' questions, although he insisted on responding first to questions related to the trip. That meant he put on hold until the end of the session a question about the clerical sexual abuse of women religious.
For second time in months, CRS forced to cut funding to Gaza
The Gaza 2020 project provided temporary job placements, food vouchers, entrepreneurship training and grants, and emergency preparedness training. The program ended Jan. 31.
Witness to Christ with love, pope tells Catholics on Arabian Peninsula
Meeting with tens of thousands of Catholics living in the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis urged them to be meek, peaceful and express their Christian identity by loving others.