Ultranationalism is the chief reason behind the growing number of countries ranked worse than before on guaranteeing citizens their religious freedom, according to Thomas Heine-Geldern, executive president of Aid to the Church in Need.

Bishop Oliver D. Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria, has seen his share of death, violence and destruction in the past nine years, but he keeps his focus on his firm belief that the local church will be restored.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Congress adopted HR 309, titled the “Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018,” which now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he’s expected to sign it into law.

The development of robotic weapons or “killer robots” will provide “the capacity of altering irreversibly the nature of warfare, becoming more detached from human agency, putting in question the humanity of our societies,” Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic told a group of experts at the United Nations in Geneva.

The desire to spend vast amounts on shopping and needless extravagances can prevent Christians from being generous with others, Pope Francis said.

Although official reports say Mill Hill Father Cosmas Omboto Ondari was caught in the crossfire of government and opposition forces, the local bishop says Father Ondari was killed by government soldiers.

To mark the UN’s International Day against Violence against Women and Girls on Sunday, a personal note from Pope Francis has been made public by a well-known Italian woman whose face was permanently disfigured in 2012 after her husband showered it with acid.

As government delegations from across the globe prepare for a Dec. 2-14 U.N. conference on climate change, Catholic organizations are pledging to make the church’s voice heard.

Red light will bathe churches and monuments in countries around to world to highlight the plight of persecuted Christians.