World News
Archbishop: Iraq needs U.S. ground troops to fight ISIS
A Chaldean Catholic archbishop called for the redeployment of U.S. and British troops in Iraq to prevent the "genocide" of Christians and other minorities by Islamic State militants.
Inequity is root of all evil in economies, policies, hunger, pope says
To find real solutions to today's problems, people need to address the root evils plaguing the world: unjust economies, financial speculation and systems that create inequity, Pope Francis said.
Accountability is key concern for pope’s child protection commission
Bishops who do not comply with the child protection norms adopted by their bishops' conferences and approved by the Vatican must face real consequences, said Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Cardinal Muller says Curia reform should stimulate reform of church
Throughout history, the Catholic Church has reviewed and reformed its structures to free them from "a worldly mentality and earthly models of the exercise of power," leading to a necessary spiritual renewal, said the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Women are not guests, but full participants in church life, pope says
Saying he knows the history of the subjugation of women continues to have a negative impact on how women are treated, Pope Francis called for greater roles for women in the church and for greater assistance and workplace flexibility to ensure they can make the best choices for themselves and their families.
Cuban cardinal: ‘Thaw’ in U.S.-Cuba relations due to prayer, dialogue
The move to normalize relations between Cuba and the United States has inaugurated "a new time ... for encounter and dialogue" between the two countries and is cause for great hope, said the cardinal of Havana.
Salvation in the city: Be neighborhood apostles, pope urges laity
Cities can be chaotic and cold, but people need God in a metropolis as much as they need him anywhere, Pope Francis said.
Rome’s poor shantytown gets surprise visit by pope
When Pope Francis walked through the gate surrounding a group of shacks, it took a while for people in the neighborhood to notice. When they did, they flocked around as he led them in praying the Lord's Prayer.
Traffickers abduct workers’ kids as chain to forced labor, says activist
The chains shackling people to slave-like labor, including women tied to the sex trade, are no longer visible, said a U.S. Catholic advocate. That makes it difficult to identify and help victims.
The Romero case: Changing times bring changing definition of ‘martyr’
Who can be called a martyr? Be it Maximilian Kolbe, Archbishop Romero or other 20th century figures, martyrdom has been at the heart of a high-level Vatican debate for more than 40 years.