News/International

An aerial view shows the ensemble of the bishop’s residence in Limburg, Germany. Catholic Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst ordered the luxury residence and office.

Diocese wants to hold ‘bling’ bishop accountable for excesses

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PARIS - A German Catholic diocese wants to take episcopal responsibility to a new level by making its disgraced former “bishop of bling” responsible for the 3.9 million euros ($5.5 million CAD) in losses incurred during the luxury makeover of his residence and office.

A correctional officer shows U.S. President Barack Obama a cell during a visit to El Reno Federal Correctional Institution outside Oklahoma City July 16. Obama is the first sitting president to visit a federal prison.

Tide may be turning against harsh prison sentences

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WASHINGTON - Readers of the Bible may recall the passage in Chapter 4 of Luke that presages the start of Jesus' public ministry, in which Jesus said, in part: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives."

Bystanders watch over the scene at a movie theater in Lafayette, La., July 23. A gunman opened fire at the theater that evening, killing at least two people and injuring nine others before taking his own life, according to local reports.

Lafayette bishop offers prayers in wake of theatre shooting

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LAFAYETTE, La. - Bishop Michael Jarrell of Lafayette offered prayers and sympathy to the victims of a multiplex cinema shooting July 23 in Lafayette in which two were killed and nine wounded.

Nuns attend a Mass for the profession of vows for the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Hung Hoa Sisters in Son Tay, Vietnam, Oct. 29, 2011.

Religious face uncertainties, questions of acceptance ministering in Southeast Asia

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MANILA, Philippines - Sr. Margaret Maung doesn't wear a nun's habit, but a traditional "longyi" and a simple blouse.

Experience has taught the provincial superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in Myanmar to embrace the country's cultural dress even while representing her faith.

Bishop Nestor-Desire Nongo Aziagbia of Bossangoa, Central African Republic, speaks with Catholic News Service in Washington Nov. 19, 2014.

African Catholic bishops see Pope’s November visit as way to ignite faith

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NAIROBI, Kenya - Pope Francis’ announcement that he will visit East and Central Africa in November has resounded in churches here, with Catholic bishops greeting it as an opportunity to boost the faith in the region.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia greets inmates of Curran-Fromhold correctional facility in Philadelphia during a visit in mid-January. Pope Francis has a planned visit to the prison Sept. 27 during his two-day visit to the city.

Mass for archdiocese, visit to prison top Pope's Philadelphia itinerary

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PHILADELPHIA - The first stop for Pope Francis when he visits Philadelphia the morning of Sept. 26 will be the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul to celebrate a special Mass for the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The American Psychological Association found there is a link between young people viewing sexual media and their view of women as sexual “play things.” In this 2011 file photo, people walk in New York City.

Pornography is sexualizing nation's children, say speakers

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WASHINGTON - Pornography is sexualizing the innocence of the nation's young children, causing a race to adulthood before the end of childhood.

Fr. Patrick Desbois, second from left, greets visitors at the Rava-Ruska Holocaust mass grave on June 29, 2015. Desbois found and documented more than 1,600 Jewish mass graves in Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

Ukraine monuments on mass graves recognize Jews killed in Holocaust

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LVIV, Ukraine - Ludvika Sarah Leah Schein, who survived the Holocaust, hadn’t been to her hometown in 70 years. But she still vividly remembers the day Germans came to Rava-Ruska.

Ukrainian church leaders denounced plans to allow same-sex unions through reforms saying that the provisions will destroy the basic social institution of the family in a July 23 letter. In this photo, Ukrainians attend Pope Francis' general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican June 10. The sign in Italian says, "Holy Father, Pray for Ukraine."

Ukraine churches reject constitutional move on same-sex rights

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WARSAW, Poland - Ukrainian church leaders condemned plans to permit same-sex partnerships under a series of constitutional reforms.

Dawn Hawkins said that the fight against pornography isn’t simply a moral issue, but there is science to back up the statistics. Hawkins is the vice-president and executive director of National Center on Sexual Exploitation in this undated photo.

Symposium looks at scientific evidence of how destructive pornography is

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WASHINGTON - The Catholic Church's strong stance against pornography is based on church teaching that the human body should be respected and every person has a God-given dignity.

Poland’s bishops said they were disappointed by a new law, signed by the outgoing Polish president, allowing artificial insemination. Catholic teaching says human sexuality is unitive and procreative whereas in vitro fertilization (IVF) separates the two and focuses on procreation. Most embryos conceived through IVF die, are frozen for later use or are discarded. This goes against Church teachings that human lives must be respected.

Polish bishops condemn IVF law, warn Catholics to not use process

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WARSAW, Poland - Poland's Catholic bishops condemned a law allowing state funding for in vitro fertilization, which was signed into law July 22 by outgoing President Bronislaw Komorowski despite a seven-year church campaign to block it.

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