The seasons of the year provide for many people an intuitive metaphor for understanding seasons of our lives. The lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s poignant “September Song” need no explanation: “Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December/ But the days grow short when you
The conference room in Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office suite on Capitol Hill can comfortably seat a dozen people. But on a Monday morning earlier this month, triple that number had crammed themselves into it. A few minutes past 11 o’clock, three Warren staffers squeezed their way into
Drawing on five decades of dialogue, the Catholic and Lutheran churches together have issued “Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist.” It includes 32 statements of agreement describing points of convergence on church, ministry and the Eucharist. It also notes the differen
After a deadly outbreak of violence around his parish in the Central African Republic’s capital of Bangui, Moses Otii Alir, a Comboni priest, expressed the hope that Pope Francis’ planned visit would open people’s hearts to God’s love and “renew the face of this beautif
U.S. Supreme Court justices said on Nov. 6 they will hear seven pending appeals in lawsuits brought by several Catholic and other faith-based entities against the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate. Among the plaintiffs are the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Archdiocese of Washingto
On Nov. 3 Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, gave the keynote address at Santa Clara University’s two day conference on “Laudato Si’”: “Our Future on a Shared Planet: Silicon Valley in Conversation with the Envir
The pilgrimage is among dozens of actions Catholics are taking in preparation for the upcoming 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Many Catholic environmental advocates are hopeful that the Paris summit will result in a long-term pact to reduce carbon emissions with the goal of slowing climate change.
Meeting workers and addressing a major gathering of the Catholic Church in Italy, Pope Francis demanded an end to economic exploitation, to clerics "obsessed" with power, to apathy among youth and to a cold, fearful church that forgets Christ is always by its side.