TORONTO - Senator Don Meredith called on faith leaders in Toronto to “engage, encourage and empower our youth” to keep young people out of the clutches of violent gangs.

OXFORD, England - An archbishop in Niger said the church would rebuild after rioters destroyed its places of worship during protests over cartoons mocking depictions of Muhammad by the French satirical newsweekly Charlie Hebdo.

NAIROBI, Kenya - Cartoon depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are proving costly for Christians in majority-Muslim countries in Africa.

WARSAW, Poland - Ukrainian Catholic leaders have warned their Church is being driven underground again, a quarter-century after it was re-legalized with the end of communist rule.

If someone who had never heard the story of Jesus were to ask about His origins, we would, I suspect, begin with the story of His annunciation and birth and end with the story of His resurrection and ascension. While that does capture His life, that’s not how the Gospels either begin or end His story. The story of Jesus and the meaning of Christmas can only really be understood by looking at where Jesus came from, His family tree, and by looking at how His story has continued in history. Indeed, that’s how the Gospels tell His story.

God has given us two churches, one is found everywhere and the other is found at select places. Some of us prefer one of these and struggle with the other, but both are sacred places where God can be found and worshipped.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis said he was pleased that five of the 30 members of the International Theological Commission are women, but the body that advises the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as well as the Church in general, needs more women theologians.

Peter Mohanty believes the obligation of Catholics to support the Church is lifelong — and beyond. We should be generous during our life and remember the Church at death. For Mohanty, that has meant including ShareLife in his will. 

The world has waited almost 50 years for the day, but is it on the horizon? 

LAGOS, Nigeria - Nearly 200 churches in the Maiduguri Diocese in northeastern Nigeria have been destroyed or razed by Boko Haram insurgents since August, a diocesan official said.

When I started my work in church music in 1976 in small-town Alberta, it really was the Wild West. We photocopied music and made Duo-Tang hymnals with words-only versions of copyrighted materials. We didn’t ask anyone for permission. 

Christians in Sudan frequently face arrests, impromptu questioning and expulsion. But this month, conditions worsened after the government announced a ban on the construction of new churches.

OXFORD, England - Catholic Church representatives have welcomed a European Court judgment reaffirming the autonomy of religious communities, but warned that pressure could continue to restrict religious rights.

RIO DE JANEIRO - As Brazil counts down to the opening of the World Cup on June 12, churches in cities hosting the international soccer tournament are not content to sit on the sidelines and cheer.

The other night I went to Mass and had dinner with a touring group of university students from Winnipeg. The gang was in the care of a young Jesuit priest and professor at St. Paul's University.