At the request of retired Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, his name will be removed as co-author of a book defending priestly celibacy, said Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vatican official who coordinated work on the book.
International News
Morality of Drone Warfare Questioned After Attack on Iranian General
The tweet early Jan. 3 from Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, asked for prayers. It wasn’t an unusual request from a church leader. Still, its significance stems from its context and its timing: a few hours after the overnight killing of Iran’s top military leader, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
Pope on Epiphany Says Religion Shouldn’t be Abused to ‘Serve Ourselves’
Pope Francis said Jan. 6 that faith is about more than knowledge and doctrine, pointing to the three wise men who visited the infant Jesus as an example of what it means for the Church to “go out,” seeking to worship God rather than oneself.
After Soleimani Assassination, Pope Warns War ‘Brings Only Death and Destruction’
Days after the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the United States, Pope Francis issued an appeal for peace and calm Jan. 5 amid what he said is an “air of tension” throughout the world.
Pope Opens New Year with Strong Condemnation of Violence Against Women
Pope Francis began 2020 with a bang Wednesday, issuing a harsh condemnation of violence against women and insisting that how society treats women and their bodies is a measure of its level of humanity.
African Bishops Say Church Polarization ‘More Political Than Doctrinal’
Two bishops who participated in a major summit on African Catholicism earlier this month have a message to the Catholic Church in the western world: Don’t bring your polarization onto our continent.
Pope Sets Term of Office for Dean of College of Cardinals
After accepting the resignation of 92-year-old Cardinal Angelo Sodano as dean of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis changed the norms of the office so that the dean would be elected to a five-year term renewable only once.
‘Christendom No Longer Exists,’ Pope Says, Explaining Need to Revamp Curia
The ongoing reform of the Roman Curia is a necessary part of the Catholic Church’s fidelity to its mission to proclaim the Gospel, recognizing that very few countries today can be described as “Christian” and that new ways of evangelizing are necessary, Pope Francis said.
Post-Fire, No Christmas Midnight Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral
After a fire tore through the 855-year-old global landmark in April, engulfing its roof and iconic spire, the holiday service will be moved to Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a nearby church in Paris that has been welcoming parishioners from Notre Dame since September
Nuns Who Work With Trafficking Victims Find High Stakes, Dark Realities
Sister Mercy Muthoni would often suffer sleepless nights when she heard from the Cameroonian girls she helped escape human trafficking in Kuwait.