OTTAWA -- When Bishop Christian Riesbeck arrives in New Brunswick in December to become the new bishop of the Diocese of Saint John, it won’t be with a set agenda.

OTTAWA -- Respect for the Earth and different cultures and Indigenous communities go hand-in-hand as the Catholic Church moves forward after an historic synod that focused on the Amazon region.

OTTAWA -- An Alberta Conservative MP accused other political parties of playing a dangerous game by trying to smear federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer by implying there is something sinister about him being a practising Catholic.

OTTAWA -- To take on the scourge of human trafficking you have to first recognize that it is happening here.

OTTAWA -- Canadian churches and refugee advocates want a federal court to declare an agreement with the United States null and void, saying it is putting refugees seeking asylum in Canada at risk because the U.S. is not a safe country for them.

OTTAWA -- The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is calling on Canadians to treat people in need with dignity and not only help them with their material needs but also support them spiritually as the third annual World Day of the Poor on Nov. 17 approaches.

OTTAWA -- On a wet and damp October Thursday on a pathway that goes under a street in downtown Ottawa near the Rideau Centre shopping mall not far from Parliament Hill, a group of people huddled in sleeping bags and blankets to fight off the chill.

OTTAWA -- The results of Canada’s federal election point to a deeply divided electorate, but some observers are hopeful that a minority government may force Canadians and the federal parties to work together in a spirit of co-operation.