News/International

A boy sorts through pieces of wood outside a house being rebuilt in the village of Bigua, Ecuador July 27. Although reconstruction is under way, many families continue to live in tents provided by Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Internationalis.

Rebuilding in Ecuador after April quake complicated by enduring poverty

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JAMA, Ecuador – Ask Jose Santos about the earthquake that struck the northern coast of Ecuador in April and he paints a vivid picture.

An Orthodox Jewish girl enters Tel Aviv's "religious" beach, one of 12 gender-segregated beaches in Israel.

Israel's women-only beach days allow the religious to relax

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TEL AVIV, Israel – It was Sunday — women’s-only day — at the so-called religious beach in this Israeli city on the Mediterranean, and several hundred women and girls sat on the sand or frolicked in the gentle waves with an abandon they rarely exhibit elsewhere.

People in Chicago demonstrate July 11 after a string of nationwide police shootings of African-Americans and the slaying of police officers in Dallas. Around the country, Catholic organizations, parishes, clergy and laity are taking action and bolstering efforts to build peace and battle racism, following a summer of violence.

A violent summer pushes U.S. to once again deal with lingering pain of racism

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WASHINGTON – With the haunting lyrics of a song that refers to a lynching sung in the background, a group of African-American Catholics in Los Angeles gathered in mid-August to meditate on the fatal shootings of unarmed black men and boys, linking their suffering to the persecution and crucifixion of Jesus.

California residents vote in Palisades High School's gymnasium in this 2012 file photo.

Catholic vote remains important, but less predictable than in the past

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WASHINGTON – Is there a Catholic vote? Well, yes. Kind of.

A statue of Mary is seen partially submerged in flood water in Sorrento, La., Aug. 20.

Historic flooding in Louisiana has changed region forever, many say

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BATON ROUGE, La. – Water lapped at the heels of Father Michael Galea, steady rain an arduous reminder of Mother Nature's unfinished business.

Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance of South Africa at the at the Annual Meeting 2012 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 27, 2012. South Africa's Jesuits warns that pursing charges against Gordhan might have serious economic consequences.

South Africa's Jesuits: Harassing finance minister could hurt poor

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CAPE TOWN, South Africa – South Africa's Jesuits have warned that pursuing charges against the finance minister could harm the country's economy and have devastating effects on the poor.

Members of the Missionaries of Charity pray Aug. 26 near the tomb of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta in celebration of her 106th birthday in India. Mother Teresa, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, will be canonized at the Vatican Sept. 4.

Indians gather to celebrate birthday of Blessed Teresa, soon-to-be-saint

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CALCUTTA, India – They came from all around to celebrate the birthday of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta  the founder of the Missionaries of Charity who will be become a saint Sept. 4.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is seen in Cotonouh, Benin, Aug. 1. Nigerian cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie urges the president to make good on his elections promises for change from last year.

Nigerian cardinal urges president to speed up promised changes

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LAGOS, Nigeria – Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to hurry with the changes he promised before his election last year.

As part of the World Food Day events in Kiharaka village, a local cultural group performs a drama about land grabbing. Land grabs are an issue close to the hearts of the hundreds of people watching, many of whom have seen people losing land or have themselves lost land.

Ghana's church leaders to continue raising awareness of land-grabbing

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ACCRA, Ghana – Ghana's church leaders have committed to continue raising public awareness about land-grabbing, in hopes of protecting and restoring the livelihoods of rural people, protecting the environment and saving communities from unnecessary strife.

Sister Margaret Held, 68, a member of the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee, and Sister Paula Merrill, 68, a member of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, are pictured in undated photos. The two women religious were found stabbed to death Aug. 25 in their Durant, Mississippi, home, police said.

Suspect sought in murders of nuns who worked at Mississippi clinic

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WASHINGTON – Police continued to search for the killer of two women religious who spent years caring for poor people as nurse practitioners in central Mississippi.

An undated photo of Pope John Paul I speaking at the window of his private studio.

For John Paul I, being a bishop was central to papacy, cardinal says

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VATICAN CITY – The life of Pope John Paul I is not a closed chapter in the history of the popes but a reminder of the church's mission to serve with simplicity, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

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