World News
Vatican, Rome gear up for canonizations of John XXIII, John Paul II
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Just over five weeks before the canonizations of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II, Rome hotels are reporting they are almost fully booked and the Vatican has confirmed the Mass will take place in St. Peter's Square, despite knowing that hundreds of thousands of people will have to watch the ceremony on large video screens.
Pope to fathers: Teach your children well, always be by their side
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- On the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church and Jesus' earthly father, Pope Francis urged all dads in the world to stick by their children's side, teaching them, guiding them and loving them.
No official response from Ugandan bishops to country’s anti-gay law
CAIRO (CNS) --Weeks after a controversial bill against homosexuality became law in their country, there was still no official word from Ugandan Catholic bishops on how they perceived it, said a senior Catholic spokesman.
Artists, aid agencies work to help vulnerable Syrian refugee children
ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan (CNS) -- As Syria's civil war hurtles into its fourth year, hopes of returning home soon seem far off for the 2.5 million refugees sheltering in neighboring countries, like Jordan. Syrians are soon expected to overtake Afghans as the largest refugee population in the world, according to the United Nations.
Police release Sri Lankan Catholic activists held under terrorism act
NEW DELHI (CNS) -- Protests are growing in Sri Lanka over the security forces' arrest of two outspoken Catholic human rights activists under stringent terrorism laws, under which a person can be held without charge for up to 18 months.
Eat more fish: Australian bishops back year-round Friday abstinence
PERTH, Australia (CNS) -- Three Australian bishops said they would support re-establishment of year-round Friday abstinence from meat -- without sanction of sin -- following the lead of England and Wales in 2011. Catholic bishops in the U.S. ended obligatory abstinence in 1966.
Vatican, Anglicans, Muslims sign accord against human trafficking
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican, the Anglican Communion and a leading Muslim institution signed a historic agreement to work together to end human trafficking worldwide by 2020.
As tensions continue with Russia, Ukrainian Catholic leader meets pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis met privately at the Vatican with the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church March 17, the day after pro-Russian voters on the Crimean peninsula voted to secede from Ukraine in a referendum the United States and European Union called illegal.
Biggest downside of being pontiff is the paperwork, Pope Francis says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The thing Pope Francis dislikes most about his job as pontiff is the paperwork, he told residents of an Argentine slum in which he used to minister.
Pope says it’s important to have a sense of humor
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At the end of his Lenten retreat, Pope Francis said he and his closest collaborators at the Vatican "want to follow Jesus more closely, without losing hope in his promises and without losing a sense of humor."