It rsquo s meant to be over by nbsp noon nbsp on April 1 so they say It doesn rsquo t work after midday and you rsquo re not allowed to come out with any April Fools gags after then although it rsquo s not clear what purgatorial penance might await a malefactor mdash perpetual exposure to extreme

Vatican Radio-- Pope Francis has urged the faithful to see the signs of the Risen Lord and open their hearts to a "present that is full of the future".Speaking on Wednesday during the weekly General Audience, the Pope reflected at length on the celebration of the Sacred Triduum which begin

'Jesus: Word Made Flesh,' by Gerard Sloyan

'Wayfaring Stranger,' by James Lee Burke

A delegation representing Catholic organizations in Nigeria offered words of comfort and pledged help for Nigerian refugees who fled to neighboring Cameroon because of a violent insurgency. Led by Bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Umuahia, chairman of Caritas Nigeria, the delegation visited Minawao Ca

Discussing the day’s air quality is now the default subject for Beijing small talk.

To evoke lively conversations, ask why so many Catholics no longer go to Mass. Some people will cite doctrinal issues like birth control, divorce and remarriage, and sexual mores. Others will speak of their experiences of the church as irrelevant to their lives. Others will cite church scandals; and

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reported that 866,000 asylum applications were registered in industrialized countries last year, the highest number of claims in 22 years and a 45 percent increase over 2013. • Pope Francis prayed for the repose of the souls of the 150 passengers and

The editors on dying—and living—for the faith

The way of life that St. Francis envisioned was just to live the Gospel.

The number of new Catholic marriages in the United States is at its lowest point since 1965. Statistics from Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate show that while there were over 420,000 Catholic weddings in 1970, that number has dwindled to just over 154,000 in

For our family, adoption has come to mean much more than what we thought it did on that Sunday afternoon.

After years of disagreement about the rights of states, communities and the federal government to define marriage, two state legislatures have proposed different means to reconcile the conflicting interests of gay rights groups and proponents of religious liberty. In Oklahoma, H.B. 1125, which was r

Honoring Jean Vanier, recipient of the $1.7 million 2015 Templeton Prize

Acts of violence have been much in the news and on our minds lately. In Ferguson, New York City and Paris, deadly shootings have disrupted lives and communities. For Christians, the response to such brokenness ought to reflect and cultivate the theological virtue of hope, a hope that directs us towa

The day is almost upon us—April 15. For Americans, this is tax day. Yes, we pay taxes throughout the year, every day: property taxes on our homes, sales taxes in most states, excise taxes, gasoline taxes and of course income taxes. A nation’s expenditures of public funds, which are inevi

On March 13, Pope Francis surprised the world by proclaiming a year-long Jubilee of Mercy. Since then he has begun to give indications, in homilies and talks, as to what this entails.As I write, the formal bull of indiction has not yet been published. That will be done on April 12, the Second Sunday

‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?” asked the rich man. Jesus replied: “Go sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Though the rich man was taken aback by what was demanded, modern readers are often puzzled by the reward.