Chaput: Synod must speak to global Church, not just West
VATICAN CITY - Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput said the Synod on the family must recognize global diversity while staying true to Church doctrine.
Pope Francis tells U.S. bishops to reject ‘harsh and divisive’ battles, be open to others
WASHINGTON - In a deeply personal talk that blended poetry and a new set of marching orders for the U.S. hierarchy, Pope Francis told U.S. bishops to reject “harsh and divisive language” and to reach out to the world, especially those in need.
Be shepherds concerned only for God and others, Pope tells U.S. bishops
WASHINGTON - Acknowledging the real challenges and burdens the U.S. bishops face in their ministry, Pope Francis shared with them his own experience as a pastor and urged them to keep their eyes focused on Jesus and their hearts open to others.
Canada’s bishops urge invoking notwithstanding clause on assisted suicide
OTTAWA - Canada’s Catholic bishops called unanimously Sept. 18 for the federal government to invoke the notwithstanding clause in response to the Supreme Court’s Feb. 6 Carter decision on euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Saint Thomas' Christians get a new bishop
Canada’s 35,000 Catholic Saint Thomas Christians will have a bishop of their own as of lunchtime Saturday, Sept. 18.
Meeting in Jerusalem, European bishops call on nations to support migrants
JERUSALEM - Leaders of the European bishops' conferences expressed solidarity with people of the Middle East, especially those being forced from their homes, and called on European states to act generously, justly and respectfully toward the influx of migrants and refugees now reaching their shores.
New abuse guidelines will make Canadian bishops more accountable
CORNWALL, Ont. - Canada's bishops will face greater accountability under new guidelines that highlight healing in cases of sexual abuse of minors.
Canadian bishops' social justice document raises plight of refugees
OTTAWA - As the world reacted with horror Sept. 3 to the picture of a drowned little migrant boy, Canada’s bishops published a social justice document pleading for generosity.
Eleven cardinals urge maintaining church rules on marriage
VATICAN CITY - Eleven cardinals, at least four of whom will participate in the world Synod of Bishops on the family in October, have urged fellow church leaders to maintain the church's rules regarding marriage and strengthen Catholic education about marriage and family life.
WASHINGTON - Displaced members of Myanmar's Kachin ethnic minority are struggling with being away from their homes and the limited services available in a Catholic-run camp near the Myanmar-China border, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration.
Kenya Catholic bishops call for polio vaccine boycott
NAIROBI, Kenya - Roman Catholic bishops in Kenya have urged citizens to boycott a mass polio vaccination campaign, unless the safety of the vaccine has been confirmed through scientific tests.
PARIS - A German Catholic diocese wants to take episcopal responsibility to a new level by making its disgraced former “bishop of bling” responsible for the 3.9 million euros ($5.5 million CAD) in losses incurred during the luxury makeover of his residence and office.
LAFAYETTE, La. - Bishop Michael Jarrell of Lafayette offered prayers and sympathy to the victims of a multiplex cinema shooting July 23 in Lafayette in which two were killed and nine wounded.
WARSAW, Poland - Poland's Catholic bishops condemned a law allowing state funding for in vitro fertilization, which was signed into law July 22 by outgoing President Bronislaw Komorowski despite a seven-year church campaign to block it.
WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has named three auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles including Fr. Robert Barron, creator of the Catholicism television series.