NEWS

TORONTO - As U.S. President Barack Obama and Western allies continue to debate whether military action is the answer to Syria’s Aug. 21 chemical weapon use on its own citizens, Christian observers are uniformly warning of grave consequences and urging more diplomacy.

TORONTO - The Philippines was colonized first by the Spanish crown and then by the more democratically inclined Americans, but through it all the nation has been carried forward by a lively, vigourous Catholicism that Filipinos have claimed and made their own. Which is why Filipina women love the Daughters of Isabella — an American offshoot of the Knights of Columbus named after a Spanish queen.

BRAMPTON, ONT. Organizers of a fundraising event to be held in Brampton this month have enlisted the star power of Grammy Award-winning singer- songwriter Michael Bolton to help their cause.

VATICAN CITY - In an open letter to Vladimir Putin, Pope Francis has appealed to the Russian President and world leaders gathering in St. Petersburg for a G-20 Summit to find a non-military solution to the crisis in Syria.

OTTAWA - Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast returned from a recent visit to Ethiopia pleased with how money is being spent in projects being funded by Canadian Catholics.

OTTAWA - The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' president has thanked retiring Vatican Secretary of State for his service and welcomed his replacement.

BEIRUT - Lebanon's Maronite Catholic bishops warned against military intervention in neighboring Syria.

JERUSALEM - Pope Francis' appeal to pray for peace in Syria has a particular urgency for Catholics in the region, who say their countries are most likely to suffer the brunt of any attacks on Damascus.

AMMAN, Jordan - For decades, Arab Christians have been fleeing the Holy Land and the rest of the Middle East in droves, mainly because of violence.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI emerged briefly from prayerful retreat to celebrate Mass with a group of his former doctoral students.