Thirty years ago I was in Nicaragua as Daniel Ortega’s first presidency was approaching its best-before date. Apart from a trip to the Holy Land, it was the most inspirational trip of my life because of the people I met, the hardships they endured at the hands of the Americans, and the hopes and dreams that filled their hearts.

VATICAN – Leading thousands of people in prayer, Pope Francis said he hoped the upcoming summit between the United States and North Korea would lead to lasting peace.

In the wake of Ford nation storming the citadel of Queen’s Park, Catholic agencies and groups are already adjusting to the new reality.

If tradition is the democracy of the dead, as G.K. Chesterton famously said, surely abortion has become a tyranny of the living over life past and future.

June 5 marks the 50th anniversary of the fatal shooting of Sen. Robert Kennedy, less than five years after the murder of his brother President John Kennedy and just two months after Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down. The 42-year-old Catholic senator was the leading candidate for Democratic nomination for the presidency at the time he was shot in Los Angeles by Sirhan Sirhan, and his death 26 hours later prompted mourning around the world. The next day in Toronto, Bishop F.A. Marrocco eulogized Kennedy at a memorial Mass, as reported in The Register of June 15, 1968: 

June 17 will mark two years since Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) law received royal assent. 

OTTAWA – The Minister of Indigenous Affairs has asked the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, a coalition of Catholic groups, to help government efforts to obtain a papal apology for the Church’s role in residential schools.

When Dr. Cathy Ferrier was announced as the Bishop Adam Exner Award winner by the Catholic Civil Rights League last week, she responded with the deep grace familiar to all who know her.

DUBLIN – An Irish bishop said he hopes Pope Francis' August visit can help bring healing after a divisive referendum that will pave the way for abortion on demand up to 12 weeks' gestation.

We just witnessed the wonderful scene of thousands of Canadians marching in Ottawa to show their support for life. It was encouraging but also raises some serious questions.

REGINA – Contrary to the cynical view of politics, morality definitely plays an important role in governing Canada, says MP Brad Trost.

Voting is easy. Walk into a booth, tick off some names — what’s complicated about that? Nothing, except that each name ticked represents a choice and a direction for our common future.

JERUSALEM – Already in a precarious state, Gaza's health system faces a medical emergency, with more than 1,000 people injured in the recent Gaza border demonstrations that flared up since March 30.

MEXICO – The Nicaraguan bishops' conference has denounced death threats against an outspoken bishop, whose comments on corruption and support for students in the protests consuming the country have been poorly received by those in power.

With at least 60 killed and over 2,700 injured, Canadian Catholics can’t just shrug and say the violence on the Israel-Gaza border is not their problem.