Father William J. Byron, S.J.

Autumn Is an Invitation to Hope

AT THIS TIME of year, falling leaves and flaming foliage come to those parts of the country where climates favor cold snaps, shorter days and deciduous, or leaf-shedding, trees.

Vatican Denies Brain Tumor Rumor

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said an Italian newspaper’s claims about the pope’s health were “entirely unfounded.”

In the End, Synod Set a Pastoral Tone

At the end of the family synod in Rome, Austen Ivereigh reports on how the world’s Catholic bishops managed to produce a consensus document that struck a fresh pastoral tone, even if there is still some disagreement.

Right of Conscience

Dear Editor: Kim Davis, in the eyes of most, including myself, is not a hero, but she still has the right to conscientious objection. Listen to what Pope Francis had to say on his flight back from New York to Rome, not commenting on Davis specifically, but on the subject of conscientious objection: Speaking with […]

Francis Offers Great Hope

Dear Editor: In reply to Bob Fallon’s Letter (Oct. 10) which you headline “Fix the Church of Jesus,” we agree with Fallon’s assertion that Pope Francis has embarked vigorously upon this mission and ministry.

Synod Wrestles with Church’s Lost and Found

It is a wonderfully frightening time to be a Catholic. These past weeks the Synod of Bishops meeting in Rome is grappling with difficult questions that touch upon all our lives.

Carolyn Woo

A Dangerous, Divisive Word

In our language and conceptual development, the definitions of “we” and “they” emerge quickly. Pope Francis urges us to open our hearts and minds to all.

Vatican Releases Papal Schedule for Africa

Despite continued instability and outbreaks of violence in the Central African Republic, the Vatican announced Pope Francis will spend about 33 hours in the country during a Nov. 25-30 visit to Africa.

Cardinal Wuerl: Truth Will Win At the Synod

The Synod of Bishops on the family is not being manipulated, rather the distortion rests in how it is being depicted or seen by a number of people, said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington.

Father William J. Byron, S.J.

A Meaningful Papal Handshake

Countless people tried to touch Pope Francis during his recent visit to the United States. Many succeeded. But one inmate at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia made contact in a firm handshake that was caught in a photograph that made Page 1 of The New York Times on the Monday morning when the pope returned to Rome.