Thousands of world leaders gathered in San Francisco last week for the Global Climate Action Summit to “Take Ambition to the Next Level” in fighting climate change, and in particular, to ensure the Paris Climate Agreement remains in effect.
National News
Encuentro: A New Era for US Church
Three thousand Hispanic Ministry delegates representing more than 165 dioceses are meeting in Grapevine, Texas, at the V National Encuentro of Hispanic Latino Ministry (Fifth Encuentro), Sept. 20-23.
Catholic Charities Provides Aid to Carolinas Following Florence
The Carolinas were hard hit with record rainfall and flooding rivers from tropical storm Florence since it made landfall Sept. 14. And although the storm was downgraded from a hurricane to a Category 1 tropical storm, it still caused extensive water damage.
Bishop of West Virginia Retires; Pope Orders Investigation of Allegations
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and has instructed Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore to conduct an investigation into allegations that Bishop Bransfield sexually harassed adults.
President of US Bishops’ Conference Issues Statement Following Meeting with Pope Francis
Following a private audience with Pope Francis this morning in Vatican City, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued the following statement regarding the recent moral crisis in the American Catholic Church.
At Supreme Court Hearing, Much Ado About Judge Brett Kavanaugh – Is It All Just Hot Air?
The four days of Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh were as heated as the unusually high temperatures in Washington during this first week of September.
Women’s, Men’s Groups Ask Pope For Answers on Abuse Crisis
An open letter to Pope Francis asking him for answers to charges of cover-ups by him and others over abuse allegations against retired Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington appears on the website of the Catholic Women’s Forum, a project of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a Washington-based think tank, although the forum’s leader said it is not a project of the organization.
Jesuit University Removes Past President’s Name from Building
Jesuit-run Marquette University in Milwaukee has removed the name of a past university president from one of its buildings following a letter from the priest asking that it be removed as part of “fasting” after reflecting on his role in handling past sex abuse claims under his purview.
Church Did Not Foresee Crimes by Bishops, Says Canon Law Professor
The 1983 Code of Canon Law did not anticipate crimes being committed by bishops that could result in their laicization, according to a canon law professor at The Catholic University of America.
Religious Diversity Important For Iraq, Says US Congressman
When Congressman Jeff Fortenberry first visited Iraq in 2005 – just months after he had been elected to the House of Representatives – his focus was on defense and diplomacy after the U.S. invasion.