WASHINGTON – The chairman of the U.S. bishops' pro-life committee and other prominent pro-life leaders cheered the U.S. State Department's April 3 announcement that it would no longer contribute to the U.N. Population Fund because of the agency's involvement in China's Population and Family Planning Law, long known as the "one-child policy."

MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia-Herzegovina – While he said he had no authority or expertise to discuss the authenticity of the alleged apparitions of Mary at Medjugorje, Pope Francis' envoy to the town said it was clear "there is a special spiritual climate here."

MANILA, Philippines – The head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines assured the government that the country's church leaders are not against President Rodrigo Duterte.

WASHINGTON – Now that lawmakers have withdrawn the American Health Care Act, Congress must "seize this moment to create a new spirit of bipartisanship" and make "necessary reforms" in existing health care law to address access, affordability, life and conscience, said three U.S. bishops' committee chairmen.

PARIS – A French Catholic priest working with North Korean refugees in China said conditions have worsened for surviving Christians under the dictatorship of Kim Jong Un and urged the Chinese government to give shelter to fugitives from the communist-ruled country.

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – At the urging of Catholic leaders, El Salvador has passed a law banning metal mining nationwide, making the small Central American country the first in the world to outlaw the industry.

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican hopes that U.S. bishops and others will continue to raise their voices in defense of the obligation to fight climate change and, in time, can persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to change his position, a top Vatican official said.

WASHINGTON– President Donald Trump's executive order calling for a review of the Clean Power Plan jeopardizes environmental protections and moves the country away from a national carbon standard to help meet domestic and international goals to ease greenhouse gas emissions, said the chairman of a U.S. bishops' committee.

KINSHASA, Congo – Catholic bishops in Congo have abandoned attempts to arrange a government-opposition power-sharing agreement, amid rising violence.

WASHINGTON – Catholic leaders are calling for governments to protect the territorial rights of indigenous people suffering eviction from their lands and pollution of their water because of mining and oil operations in the Amazon basin.