Pope Francis this week appointed his first group of cardinals, and his choices suggested his embrace of the church’s growing diversity. Europeans and especially Italians have historically dominated the College of Cardinals, but many of the 19 new cardinals are … More →

January 17, 2014

The Vatican itself came under scrutiny at a U.N. hearing in Geneva for its handling of clergy sex abuse cases. The U.N. panel questioned church officials about not requiring bishops to report suspected abuse to local authorities. Vatican representatives said … More →

January 17, 2014

This week the Vatican played host to Secretary of State John Kerry, in a visit expected to pave the way for a meeting between President Obama and Pope Francis. During the 90-minute meeting, Kerry and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro … More →

January 17, 2014

There were several major court decisions this week about abortion and same-sex marriage. A federal judge in Oklahoma struck down a state ban on same-sex marriage. Weddings will not begin just yet, however. The judge stayed his decision, expecting the … More →

January 17, 2014

Monday is Martin Luther King Day, the national holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader who would have been 85 years old. Many will remember Dr. King by holding religious services and by volunteering in their communities.

January 17, 2014

An ecumenical milestone in Boston: Fifty years ago, the late Richard Cushing became the first Catholic cardinal in the country to speak at a Protestant church. Last weekend, Boston’s current archbishop, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, remembered that occasion by visiting the … More →

January 17, 2014

Ariel Sharon died this week at the age of 85. He had been in a coma for eight years ever since a massive stroke in 2006 that ended his tenure as Israel’s 11th prime minister. Sharon will be remembered as … More →

January 11, 2014

The nation marked the 50th anniversary of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty this week with vigorous debate about whether government efforts have succeeded at pulling Americans out of poverty. For months, the U.S. Catholic bishops and other religious leaders have … More →

January 10, 2014

This week a group of senators pushed for the U.S. to welcome more of the millions of Syrian refugees fleeing from that country’s civil war. So far, 135,000 Syrians have applied for asylum in the United States, but the U.S. … More →

January 10, 2014

A new report says the crisis in Syria may also have been a factor in the deaths of more than 1,200 Christians in that country last year. The nondenominational group Open Doors documented over 2,100 Christian deaths worldwide in 2013, … More →

January 10, 2014