News/International

WARSAW, Poland - Pope Francis will visit the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau during a July 27-31 visit to Poland for the celebration of World Youth Day, the Polish bishops announced.

Churches targeted in South Sudan civil war, says UN

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Churches and mosques have been centres of “searing” human rights abuses in South Sudan, where a civil war has been raging since 2013, according to a United Nations report.

Photographer's life work to expose horrors of global human trafficking

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DE PERE, Wis. - Lisa Kristine was 11 when her aunt and uncle gave her an Olympus 35 mm camera. From a converted darkroom in her home in California, she developed black-and-white film and printed images of family and friends.

Trump is getting out the Muslim vote

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Salim Jaffer moved to the U.S. when he was 14 years old. His family, along with the rest of the Indian community, had been expelled from Uganda in 1972 under the violent dictator Idi Amin and sought a respite in America.

But he said he’s never felt in danger until this year.

Indian bishops give self-critique, discuss issues of concern

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BANGALORE, India - Catholic bishops in India made some self-critical observations and also discussed moral decline and growing religious fundamentalism during their biennial assembly.

New report details 'genocide' by Islamic State against Christians, minorities

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The Knights of Columbus and In Defense of Christians contend that Christians in Libya, Iraq and Syria are victims of genocide carried out by the Islamic State in a new report.

African bishops to boycott meeting of Anglican council over Episcopal Church attendance

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NAIROBI, Kenya - The Anglican Church in Kenya has become the latest province to announce it will boycott the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Zambia over the participation of the Episcopal Church.

Catholic silence on involvement in Middle East called 'massive failure'

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NEW YORK - An American bishop has called the silence of Catholics on the ongoing wars in the Middle East a massive failure.

Nancy Reagan recalled as 'kind, gracious' during 1987 papal encounter

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OXNARD, Calif. - Following the death of Nancy Reagan March 6, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony recalled fondly sharing time with the former first lady and Pope John Paul II during the pontiff's 1987 visit to Los Angeles.

Washington cardinal rebukes Georgetown for inviting Planned Parenthood chief

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Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl appeared to take a swipe at Georgetown University for inviting Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards to speak, saying that “it is neither authentically Catholic nor within the Catholic tradition for a university to provide a special platform to those voices that promote or support” issues such as abortion.

China's efforts to mold Christianity in its own image face resistance

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BEIJING - On a hazy Sunday morning, the fourth floor of a dingy gray office building in a far-flung region of this city is bursting with prayer.

In the Chinese capital, it’s not uncommon for church services to be held in Soviet-era office buildings. But the poorly lit, cracked-concrete dankness of this particular location cannot dampen the enthusiasm of this evangelical congregation.