Most Americans support life imprisonment over the death penalty, according to a Gallup poll released Nov. 24, revealing a shift in the majority opinion on this issue for the first time in 34 years.
Catholic Faith
‘Arcángel’ in Brooklyn
Cándido Arcángel opens the basement of his shop to homeless men so that they will have a warm and safe place to sleep at night. He is a Catholic from the Dominican Republic who attends Mass at St. Catherine of Alexandria in Borough Park.
In Thailand, Pope Tells Religions to Work for Peace; Catholic Youth to Hold Firm to Faith
Speaking to people from 18 different religions on Nov. 22, Pope Francis said that the complex challenges of the world today – including globalization, the rapid advances of technology and the persistence of civil conflicts resulting in migration, refugees, famine and war – makes the need for cooperation between religions all the more pressing.
Pope’s Point Man on Abuse to U.S. Church: Be Prepared for New Revelations
One of Pope Francis’s closest allies in fighting clergy abuse praised the American church for going “a step further” than the Vatican’s new global guidelines for bishop accountability by requiring a third-party reporting system, which is set to take effect next year.
Number of ‘Nones’ are Increasing in the U.S.
A Pew Research Center study released on Oct. 17 shows that Americans who identify as “nones” — those describing themselves as atheists or agnostics or having no religious affiliation — are the biggest group in the country, outnumbering Catholics.
‘Nones’ Now Account for Close to a Quarter of the U.S. Population
While most of the religiously unaffiliated people, the so-called “nones” are young, speakers at an Oct 15 symposium at Jesuit-run Fordham University said the trend encompasses all age groups and has enormous implications for American society.
U.S. Officials Seek Greater Cooperation With Vatican on Religious Freedom
Promoting religious freedom, providing humanitarian assistance and fighting human trafficking are three major issues the Vatican and the U.S. administration agree on and on which they will continue to coordinate efforts, panelists said at a joint symposium.
‘Amazin’ Mets’ of ’69 Can Inspire Church to Evangelize, Bishop Writes
The New York Mets’ improbable World Series championship in 1969 can inspire the Catholic Church to a new era of evangelization, Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Center wrote in a new pastoral letter.
Around the School Bell: Annual Religious Brothers and Sisters Night
Representing 24 different religious congregations, 70 brothers and sisters gathered at St. Thomas More Church at St. John’s University, Jamaica, for its fifth annual Brothers and Sisters Night at the student Mass, Sept. 15.
Sisters’ Network Fights the Buying, Selling of Human Beings
Knowing that human trafficking is taking place across the globe and often involves forcing victims across borders, a global coalition of Catholic sisters met to strategize ways to fight the criminal business and work with advocates of civil justice.