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US bishops debate wording on stance for life

BALTIMORE — During the second day of the USCCB Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, divisions among the bishops bubbled briefly to the surface, with bishops exchanging sharp interventions on the “preeminence’ of abortion as a social concern.
Archbishop Gomez elected USCCB president; first Latino in post

BALTIMORE — Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles was elected to a three-year term as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the bishops' fall general assembly in Baltimore.
Bishop Barron urges bishops to help bring people back to the church

BALTIMORE — Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron of Los Angeles did not just bemoan the fact many young people are leaving the Catholic Church. He said church leaders need to make it a priority to bring them back.
Bishops vote to revise strategic priorities for the early 2020s

WASHINGTON — The U.S. bishops voted overwhelmingly Nov. 11 in Baltimore on a revised set of strategic priorities to take them into the next decade.
WATCH: 13th-century encounter points way to greater Christian-Muslim understanding

WASHINGTON — Eight centuries ago, St. Francis of Assisi took a risk when he crossed the battlefield between Crusader and Muslim forces near Damietta, Egypt, desiring to meet Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil and preach his faith in Jesus Christ.
Federal judge halts Trump administration conscience protection rule

NEW YORK — A U.S. District Court judge's Nov. 6 ruling that halts a Trump administration conscience protection rule for health care professionals leaves them "vulnerable to being forced to perform, facilitate or refer for procedures that violate their conscience," said the senior counsel for the First Liberty Institute.
Siblings born two minutes apart continue strong bond as religious sisters

INDIANAPOLIS — Benedictine Sisters Jill and Susan Reuber have often shared the same path in life, but their roads to their religious vocations took different turns.
European bishops mark 30th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall

BRUSSELS — Catholic bishops from the European Union marked 30 years since the breaching of the Berlin Wall with tributes to those who worked for peaceful change, as well as warnings against resurgent "ideologies behind the building of walls."
Veteran says 'Little Flower' kept him alive during months of bombing runs

"This is it," he thought, as he braced for the barrage of bullets that he expected to blast through the glass and tear into his body. It didn't happen. Not one piece of lead penetrated the cockpit. The reason? Don Stoliel, a member of Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, believes he had a layer of protection no German machine gun could penetrate -- a first-class relic of St. Therese of Lisieux.
Eldest Mercy sister in world dies at age 111

MOBILE, Ala. — Mercy Sister Mary Aidan Donaldson worked in education for almost 50 years, and that wasn't nearly half her life story.
Polish actress read saint's diaries to prepare for film role

WASHINGTON — Kamila Kaminska, the Polish actress who played St. Faustina Kowalska in the new movie "Love and Mercy: Faustina," read the diaries her fellow countrywoman wrote to help prepare for the role.
Campaign stresses why civility is important as 2020 election approaches

WASHINGTON — Rancor in politics, especially these days, may be the norm, but a nationwide effort is underway to remind people that civility in political discussions is a virtue.
WATCH: Father, daughter make cross-country pilgrimage for life

For John Moore, each step is a prayer. And when you're walking the 2,800 miles from San Francisco to Washington, that's a lot of prayer.
The dark side of memes: spreading untruths about religion

WASHINGTON — The image seems inoffensive on the surface: a figure of a gray-haired man, presumably God, with text that says: "I gave you free will so use it exactly as I command you to."
Cardinal recalled as a churchman 'truly present to core of his being'

SAN FRANCISCO — Cardinal William J. Levada was remembered as a friend, family member, pastor and churchman who was "truly present to the core of his being."
Lebanon's church leaders to protesters: 'We hear your cry'

BEIRUT — Amid an unprecedented, massive uprising of the Lebanese population demanding a sweeping overhaul of the country's political system, leaders of Catholic, Orthodox and evangelical churches in Lebanon assured the people, "We hear your cry."
WATCH: Nationals' Catholic chaplain calls the World Series team his parish

WASHINGTON — Like most parish priests, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti celebrates Mass, baptizes babies, gives marriage preparation talks and provides pastoral care that often involves listening to people or praying with them.
Venezuelan priest becomes social media sensation

CARACAS, Venezuela — Understanding the Bible can be challenging, but Catholics in Venezuela are becoming more familiar with Scripture through the work of a tech-savvy friar.
Solar array touted as model for church agencies

WASHINGTON — The sun shone on Catholic Charities, literally, Oct. 17 as Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory blessed a solar array installed on five acres of the agency's land surrounding the Missionaries of Charity's Gift of Peace home.
Couple says adoption is a blessing, gift and 'roller coaster of emotions'

After David and Maria Schuette got married in 2015, they wanted a family right away but months later they found out that infertility issues would likely prevent them from having children of their own.
Panel: 'Nones' now account for close to a quarter of the U.S. population

NEW YORK — "None of the above" is the fastest-growing religious identifier in the United States and now approximates the percentage of Catholics in the country.
U.S. bishops speak at synod for the Amazon

VATICAN CITY — The Synod of Bishops for the Amazon is not a "referendum" on priestly celibacy; it is looking for ways to provide for the sacramental life and formation of the people there, U.S. Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston said.
Caritas works to help Syrians displaced by Turkish bombings

AMMAN, Jordan — Church bells have been ringing in Qamishli and elsewhere in northeastern Syria, signaling the alarm to Christians and others of the ongoing Turkish military operation that is having a devastating humanitarian impact on civilians.
Turkish planes bomb Syria, causing panic among Christians, others

AMMAN, Jordan — Turkish warplanes have begun attacking northeastern Syria, causing widespread panic among Christian and other religious communities caught up in the aerial bombardments.
Impeachment? Add it to the list of reasons bills are sidetracked

WASHINGTON — So an impeachment query in the House, and a potential trial in the Senate, want to get in the way of legislation being considered in Congress? Take a number.
Dallas' Bishop Burns says forgiveness in court was act of Christian love

WASHINGTON — A Dallas bishop said that the public forgiveness offered by the brother of a murder victim toward the person who killed him was "an incredible example of Christian love."
Cardinal Newman's canonization: Chance for campus groups to 'reclaim' name

WASHINGTON — The upcoming canonization of Blessed John Henry Newman begs the question: Do Catholic college students today even know who Cardinal Newman is?
Stress of fighting for land takes toll on indigenous peoples in Brazil

SAO PAULO — Pressure from land conflicts and decline of expectations and perspectives have led the indigenous populations in Brazil to register some of the highest suicide rates in the country, said the Indigenous Missionary Council, linked to the Brazilian bishops' conference.
Northern Ireland Christian leaders: People weren't consulted on abortion

MANCHESTER, England — Church leaders in Northern Ireland encouraged their political parties to quickly re-establish their self-governing institutions to stop the British government from imposing a liberal abortion law on the province.
Advocates decry plan to cut refugee cap

WASHINGTON — Refugee advocates are opposed to the decision announced by the Trump administration Sept. 26 that it plans to admit no more than 18,000 refugees in the next fiscal year, the lowest number since the resettlement program was created in 1980.
China-Vatican accord promotes church's pastoral work, speakers say

ROME — The provisional agreement signed in 2018 by the Holy See and the Chinese government has "opened the way to the two most important things: pastoral activity and dialogue," said Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli.