World News
Patriarchs urge world to solve Syrian crisis
A Melkite patriarch called for unity against actions of the Islamic State, including its capture of up to 400 Assyrian Christians from villages in northeast Syria. "Today the danger is an extremely universal one," he said.
Britain legalizes modifying germ line to fight disease
Britain has become the first country in the world to legalize the genetic modification of the human germ line in an attempt to fight inherited diseases, but Catholic officials oppose the procedures.
During shroud display, Turin reaches out to women who have aborted
With the aim of ensuring that the public display of the Shroud of Turin promotes conversion and healing, the archbishop of Turin has given priests throughout the archdiocese special faculties to offer absolution to women who confess to having had an abortion.
Homeless man of deep faith given funeral, burial in Vatican City
A homeless man who faithfully attended Mass at a church inside Vatican City for decades was buried in a Vatican cemetery after it was discovered he had died and was left unidentified in a hospital morgue.
Politician calls for coalition airstrikes to help Syrian Christians
A prominent Syrian Christian political leader has called for U.S.-led coalition forces to use airstrikes to aid fellow Christian and Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State militants following reports of flagrant abductions and church burnings in northwest Syria.
Pope names St. Gregory of Narek a doctor of the church
A 10th-century Armenian monk has been named among the doctors of the church.
Longtime worker for migrants says challenges more urgent than ever
Thirty-five years ago, when John Klink was working for Catholic Relief Services in Yemen, Blessed Teresa of Kolkata came to visit her Missionaries of Charities there.
Catholic aid group pledges $2.8 million to help Christians in Syria
Refugees among the estimated 12.2 million people affected by the war in Syria fear identifying themselves as Christians seeking aid because of reprisals from Islamic State militants.
Up to 100 Christians abducted in Islamic State offensive in Syria
Islamic State forces struck a string of Assyrian Christians villages in northeastern Syria Feb. 23. The villages were defended only by civilians, not the Syrian army, said a Catholic bishop and native of the area.
Half-million Syrian refugees endure brutal winter in tents
After fleeing the war in Syria for the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, flimsy tents or unfinished buildings offer little shelter from the continuous storms that have been pounding the mountains with high winds, rain and cold since last fall.