World News
Pope asks prayers for upcoming synod on family
No matter how weary, wounded or sinful a family has become, the church will always do everything to try to help family members heal, convert and reconcile with the Lord, Pope Francis said.
Pope mourns with families of Germanwings crash victims
Pope Francis prayed for the repose of the souls of the 150 passengers and crew of a Germanwings plane that crashed into the French Alps March 24.
Priests, nuns remain in Yemen despite ongoing conflict
Despite rising tensions in Yemen and continued fighting between government and rebel forces, Catholic officials said the six Salesian priests and the 20 Missionaries of Charity assigned to the country have remained.
Fight against ‘logic of profit,’ unemployment is unjust, pope says
Because unemployment is an injustice that harms human dignity, people must make certain that the "logic of solidarity and the logic of justice" prevail over the "logic of profit," Pope Francis said.
Vatican statistics show modest, steady church growth worldwide
The number of Catholics in the world and the number of priests and permanent deacons rose slightly in 2013, while the number of men and women in religious orders declined, according to Vatican statistics.
Canadian court rules Jesuit school can teach from Catholic perspective
In a 7-0 decision, the court ruled March 19 that Loyola High School can favor Catholicism in teaching the course, which is required by the Quebec Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports.
No ifs, ands or buts: Christians must live Christ’s way, pope says
Don't be "halfway Christians," who accept Christ, but then start looking for excuses and stammering, "yes, but ..." when it is time to follow his way, Pope Francis said at a morning Mass.
Papal aide organizes special Sistine Chapel tour for homeless people
The papal almoner, an archbishop who distributes charitable aid from Pope Francis, planned a special afternoon for about 150 homeless people: a walk through the Vatican Gardens, a visit to the Vatican Museums, private time in the Sistine Chapel and dinner in the museums' cafeteria.
Synod in Nagasaki, Japan, offers recommendations to church in ‘crisis’
Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, Japan, said Catholics in the archdiocese recognize "with grief, remorse and a deep sense of crisis" that the church is experiencing a slow contraction and a precipitous decline in membership.
Haitian minister hopes to reduce cholera spike before rainy season
The surge in December and January, a normally dry time in Haiti, has since subsided, but Dr. Florence Duperval Guillaume, minister of public health and population, expressed concern about future outbreaks and is working with an international task force to prevent their return.