While the United Nations has a stated commitment to protecting and promoting the lives of those with Down Syndrome, the Holy See believes some in the international community are abetting what one Washington Post columnist recently termed a “genocide” against such individuals.
International News
Salvadoran Cardinal and Longtime Friend Says Blessed Romero Will Be The ‘Saint of Four Popes’
While Pope Francis may be the one who finally canonizes Blessed Óscar Romero, Cardinal José Gregorio Rosa Chávez – his one-time close friend – says he believes the late El Salvadoran martyr will be known as “the saint of four popes.”
Colombian Bishops Seek More Help for Venezuelan Refugees
Bishops in Colombia are calling on officials, parishes and the international community to increase efforts to help Venezuelan migrants, who are leaving their country at the rate of at least 50,000 people per month.
St. Francis’ Pontificate By the Numbers
In just five years as leader of the universal church, Pope Francis has made 22 international trips, traveling 154,906 miles – the equivalent of six times around the world.
American Pro-Life Leaders Urge Irish Prime Minister Not To Repeal Abortion Ban
Ahead of a May referendum that would overturn Ireland’s ban on abortion, a group of prominent American pro-life leaders are urging Ireland’s Prime Minister to uphold his country’s 8th amendment.
Pope Tells Confessors To Listen Carefully
By truly listening to the penitent during confession, “we listen to Jesus himself, poor and humble; by listening to the Holy Spirit, we put ourselves in attentive obedience, becoming listeners of the Word” in order to know what God wants to be done, he said.
Pope Meets MLK’s Daughter
Pope Francis shakes hands with Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., during a private audience at the Vatican.
Francis at Five Years: A Look at His Successes, What Needs to Be Done
When Pope Francis was elected five years ago today, he came into office with a reform mandate and a vow to make the Church less self-referential, focused on the peripheries rather than the center. Many of the challenges ahead seemed obvious: shaking up the Roman curia, cleaning up the Vatican’s finances, and continuing the work of clerical sex abuse reform efforts.
Pope Francis: In His Own Words
In his formal documents, many speeches and unscripted morning homilies the past five years, Pope Francis has given the church plenty of “food for thought” on many issues of great importance.
Benedict Dismisses Criticism of Francis’ Papacy
On the eve of the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ election, retired Pope Benedict XVI defended the continuity of the Church’s teaching under his successor and dismissed those who criticize the pope’s theological foundations.