Georgetown Summit Looks to Pope Francis in Overcoming Polarization

More than 80 prominent and emerging Catholic leaders gathered this week in an effort to see how a unified American Catholic Church might offer a better way forward.“Though Many One: Overcoming Polarization through Catholic Social Thought,” hosted by the Initiative for Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, served as an attempt to break across current divides within the Church and to take advantage of the momentum of the Pope Francis papacy to positively influence public life.

Revision of Youth Protection Charter Is Nearly Complete

The chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People said a two-year project to revise the charter that guides the U.S. Church in protecting minors from sexual abuse is nearly ready to be presented to the full body of bishops.

Court Rules for Conscience in Baker’s Case

In a 7-2 decision June 4, the Supreme Court sided with Colorado baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop in a case that put anti-discrimination laws up against freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression.

‘Father of Christian Rock’ Privately Fascinated With Catholicism

He was dubbed the “Father of Christian Rock,” but his influence and even his fan base was often more among secular musicians and music-lovers than his own tribe. But, for Larry Norman, Jesus was the most counter-cultural subject of all, and that’s what he wanted to write and sing about.

Mary, Mother of the Church

This 14-foot stainless steel sculpture of Mary, Mother of the Church, adorns the national shrine of the same name in Laurie, Mo. Sculptor Don Wiegand, who created the sculpture, described the subject of his work as “an ageless lady, depicting love, balance and grace.”

Health Care, Asian Catholics On Agenda for US Bishops

Revised guidelines governing Catholic and non-Catholic health care partnerships will be on the agenda of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ spring general assembly June 13-14 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Catholics Come Together as Brothers and Sisters in Christ

While U.S. Catholics are divided both in the pews and in public life – perhaps more than ever before – nearly 1,200 Catholics came together at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington “not as members of political parties, but as brothers and sisters in Christ.”