WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced June 27, the last day of the Supreme Court's current term, that he is retiring July 31.

VATICAN – Talks between the leaders of the United States and North Korea are "truly historic" and bring hope for the start of a new era of peace, said Pope Francis' ambassador to Korea.

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

Spiralling costs and mountains of red tape may force some Catholic refugee sponsorship agencies out of business and cause others to cut back on the number of refugees they’re prepared to welcome, according to the Catholic Refugee Sponsorship Council representing 20 agencies across Canada.

When I was a child I watched a movie called Village of the Damned. It was creepy and scary.

DUBLIN – Voters in Ireland have opted to remove the right to life of the unborn from the country's constitution, paving the way for abortion on demand up to 12 weeks.

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.

The world’s most famous quintuplets, the five Dionne girls, were born May 28, 1934 to poor Catholic parents Oliva and Elzire Dionne on their farm near Corbeil, Ont. They were the first quints to survive infancy and were instant global sensations. Fearing they would be exploited, the Ontario government made the girls wards of the province with special legislation (the Croll Bill). It prompted a fierce debate over parental rights, which played out in the pages of The Register. Later, a fierce custody battle resulted in the girls returning to their parents in 1943 after an early childhood that saw them put on public display in a specially-built hospital and nursery called Quintland. In 1998, three surviving sisters won a $2.8 million settlement from Ontario as a result of their exploitation. In the April 11, 1935 Register, the parents made their case against the Croll Bill in a letter to the editor:

WASHINGTON – In front of a small crowd of cabinet members and religious leaders at the White House Rose Garden May 3, President Donald Trump announced, and then signed, an executive order giving faith-based groups a stronger voice in the federal government.

VIENNA, Austria – The apostolic nuncio to Austria said Tuesday that he is “saddened and ashamed” that bishops and priests have been vocal critics of the Bavarian government's mandate to display crosses in government buildings.

OTTAWA – Bishops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are making a direct appeal to the government and people of Canada to put pressure on the Kabila government to respect the constitution and hold elections.

WARSAW, Poland – A prominent Polish archbishop accused his country's government of falsifying its data on refugees, while also fueling a crisis with Germany over new demands for war reparations.

LIMA, Peru – Peru's bishops called for Peruvians to work together to root out corruption in the wake of the resignation of the country's president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, amid accusations of corruption.

WARSAW, Poland – Russia's minority Catholic Church has pledged to help build a civil society after the nation's March 18 election and called on President Vladimir Putin to "justify voters' confidence" after his victory.

CUERNAVACA, Mexico – Donations from Caritas chapters across Mexico started streaming into affected areas after an earthquake rocked central Mexico Sept. 19, claiming more than 300 lives, leveling homes and churches and leaving thousands homeless.