World News
Pope: God’s Christmas wish isn’t buying-frenzy, feast, but gift of self
With less than a week to go before Christmas, Pope Francis dedicated his audience talk to the true meaning of Christmas and the kind of "gifts" and surprises that are pleasing to God on that day.
Catholic Christmas carols not in danger in Quebec, specialist says
A choir and sacred music specialist believes these carols remain beloved because people especially preserve the emotion associated with them.
Indonesian police, Muslim youth to help guard churches at Christmas
More than 90,000 police and soldiers and a moderate Muslim youth group will help guard nearly 50,000 churches across Indonesia, including some previously attacked by terrorists, during the Christmas period.
At Christmas, Peruvians try to make Venezuelan migrants feel at home
With more than half a million Venezuelan migrants and refugees, Peru is the second-largest host country after Colombia. Hyperinflation, power outages, political instability, violence and shortages of food and medicine have driven about 3 million people out of Venezuela.
Pope names Italian journalists to key posts in Vatican communications
Pope Francis made new appointments to the Dicastery for Communication, naming Andrea Tornielli, an Italian journalist, as its "editorial director" and Andrea Monda, an Italian journalist and religion teacher, as editor-in-chief of the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.
Bishops asked to meet abuse survivors before February meeting
At stake at the planned major Vatican summit on the clerical sex abuse crisis is healing for victim survivors and "the very credibility of the church to carry on the mission of Christ" in the world, Pope Francis wrote.
Scapegoating migrants in political speeches is unacceptable, pope says
In today's climate of mistrust, rejection and nationalism, the world urgently needs peacemakers and politicians who protect and lovingly serve others, Pope Francis said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace Jan. 1.
Ukrainian Catholic leader welcomes head of new independent Orthodox church
The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church told the new leader of three previously divided Ukrainian Orthodox denominations that they "will travel together in history, toward unity and truth."
Vatican names two reconciled bishops to head Chinese dioceses
As part of its ongoing efforts to reconcile China's Catholic communities, the Vatican recognized two previously excommunicated Chinese bishops as heads of dioceses.
Catholic groups raise concerns that climate rulebook not ambitious enough
UPDATED - The final document that emerged from the 24th U.N. Conference of Parties, or COP24, in Katowice, Poland, outlines a careful balance among the needs and concerns of the most developed nations, emerging nations and poor countries whose inhabitants already are experiencing the effects of climate change.