Less than a week after Pope Francis told a joint meeting of Congress that he backs U.S. efforts to abolish the death penalty, news came of his U.S. nuncio's letters to authorities in two states appealing on the pope's behalf to commute death sentences.

Vows exist to foster life, to defend it, to allow it to flourish.

'We strive to be one of the great universities in the world and we strive to be authentic Catholic and Jesuit,' says university president John J. DeGioia.

Cardinal Georges Cottier, O.P., the former theologian for the papal household under St. John Paul II, feels that the Year of Mercy is an extraordinary opportunity given to the church to better discover herself and her mission.

Joseph Koterski, S.J., on the good, the trendy and the worrisome in modern academia

It's tough to see so many students hold a negative view about the Bard because of the unfamiliarity of the language.

A letter sent on behalf of the pope asked that Georgia's parole board “commute the sentence to one that would better express both justice and mercy.”

The Walker family departed Buenos Aires, Argentina, in March. Their goal was to reach Pope Francis and the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

'A God That Could Be Real,' by Nancy Ellen Abrams

'An Unlikely Union,' by Paul Moses

'Redeployment,' by Phil Klay; 'Green on Blue,' by Elliot Ackerman; 'The Corpse Exhibition,' by Hasan Blasim

'The Jesuits,' by John W. O'Malley, S.J.; 'Keeping Company with Saint Ignatius,' by Luke J. Larson

'The Coup at the Catholic University,' by Peter M. Mitchell

Francis, the first pope ever to address the United States Congress, provoked sustained applause by his very first words, expressing his gratitude for the invitation to address this joint session of Congress in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”Many veteran politicians, inc

On Sept. 17, 2015, Matt Malone, S.J., president and editor in chief of America Media, spoke with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. at the office of the vice president in Washington, D.C., about his faith, his family and his public life. A complete video recording can be found at

Pope Francis urged the hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families on Sept. 27 to serve and care for each other as freely as God loves the human family.The pope called upon the faithful to embrace signs that the Holy Spirit can work through everyone

Koki Ruiz and an altar of corn for the pope

The idea of basic income has been catching on in tech culture lately.