A few months after a Pew Research Center study showed that the number of U.S. Hispanics who identify as Catholic has drastically dropped over the past decade, the nation’s bishops will vote on a plan to overhaul the U.S. Church’s approach to Hispanic ministry.
Author: John Lavenburg
U.S. Bishops Urge Greater Online Protection for Children
Multiple leaders among the U.S. Catholic bishops came together earlier this week to encourage lawmakers to explore online protections for children, and now the bishops are encouraging Catholics nationwide to do the same.
Survey Finds Number of Deacons at Lowest Level Since 2011
A new survey from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Georgetown University shows that the number of permanent deacons in active ministry in the U.S. last year is the lowest since 2011, which “is [a trend] in keeping with the slow decline of the diaconate over the past several years.”
Biden’s ‘Unity’ Pledge ‘Still Polarizing’ to Many in U.S.
When President Joe Biden delivered his inauguration speech on Jan. 20, 2021, he used the word “unity” eight times. The first time he used it was to say it’s required “to restore the soul and to secure the future of America.” The last time he used it to say that “together, we shall write an American story … of unity, not division.”
Sacramento Diocese ‘Shocked’ as Migrants Abandoned at Pastoral Center
When a van dropped off 16 migrants at the Diocese of Sacramento’s pastoral center on Friday, June 2, staff responded as the Church routinely does in emergency situations — help first, ask questions later. The migrants were brought to a parish and eventually given a hotel room.
Biden Spent First Term ‘Actively Promoting and Pushing Abortions’
On Jan. 22, 2021, days after President Joe Biden took office, he issued a statement for the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on the importance of pro-abortion policies, committing himself to enshrine the right to abortion in the Constitution and expand access to the procedure for women across the country.
Newark Cardinal Asks Americans to Voluntarily Forgo Gun Rights
Amid a mounting debate in America over the constitutionality of gun control, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark has entered the fray with a different argument: that people should voluntarily forgo their Second Amendment rights for the betterment of society.
The Vatican Names Las Vegas as the Newest U.S. Archdiocese
For the first time in 19 years, the United States has a new archdiocese. The Vatican announced on May 30 the creation of the Ecclesiastical Province of Las Vegas, which includes the newly elevated Archdiocese of Las Vegas, and the Dioceses of Reno and Salt Lake City.
San Francisco Prelate Calls Lesser Charges for Defacing Serra Statue ‘Anti-Catholic’
With a California district attorney reducing the charges against five vandals who desecrated a St. Junípero Serra statue in 2020, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco fears others will now believe they can carry out similar attacks and not face serious legal punishment.
Uvalde One Year Later: ‘There’s Work to Do,’ Archbishop Says
On the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio, standing at the pulpit of the town’s lone Catholic church, reminded the community that faith and unity are essential to move forward.