VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has called on all nations to eliminate the death penalty, to divert a fixed percentage of arms spending to a global fund to fight hunger and climate change, and to cancel the international debt of developing nations as concrete ways to usher in a new era of hope."Sporadic acts of philanthropy are not enough. […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The "most beautiful gift" the Catholic Church and its members can give the world is a reason to live with hope, Pope Francis said."The Christian cannot be satisfied with having hope; he or she must also radiate hope, be a sower of hope," the pope said at his weekly general audience Dec. 11.Speaking to thousands of […]

NEW YORK – Today, as part of ongoing and broader efforts to counter antisemitism across society, American Jewish Committee (AJC), in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, released Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition. This groundbreaking resource paves the way for deeper and wider cooperation in a shared commitment to eradicating antisemitism at […]

WASHINGTON – “With one clear voice, we reaffirm our unwavering and unqualified recognition of the fact that each and every human life is sacred, that all persons are imbued by God with an inviolable dignity, which no earthly power can deny.” The Catholic Church commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, on December 12. Besides […]

WASHINGTON – The United States and the international community should assist Syria as it “starts a new chapter in its rich history,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace. “In yet another dramatic development in the Middle East, after enduring […]

WASHINGTON – “Catholics across the United States help strengthen the faith and bring the Good News of Jesus to the poor, vulnerable, and oppressed,” said Bishop Daniel H. Mueggenborg of Reno, chairman of the Committee on National Collections for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The bishops who serve on the five subcommittees of the Committee on National Collections […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — "With tears in our eyes, let us raise our prayer for peace," Pope Francis said as he thanked the people of Bethlehem and Palestinian authorities for a Nativity scene to decorate the Vatican audience hall.A Christmas creche conveys the "message of peace and love that Jesus left us," the pope said Dec. 7 during a meeting […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Theology should serve as a guiding companion for those seeking meaning and truth, particularly during life's pivotal moments, Pope Francis said, calling on theologians and theology faculties to expand their outreach.Speaking to participants in a conference on the future of theology organized by the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the pope asked that the discipline be […]

ROME (CNS) — With the city of Rome presenting a gauntlet of major roadworks and construction projects ahead of the opening of the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis used the disruptions as an opportunity to encourage people to do some spiritual renovation before the jubilee.On a cloudy afternoon with the threat of rain Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Becoming a cardinal is an insistent call to put Jesus at the center of one's life, to love the poor as he did and to strengthen the bonds of unity within the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said as he created 21 new cardinals from 17 nations."To walk in the path of Jesus means, in the end, […]