'The Narrow Road to the Deep North,' by Richard Flanagan

El Salvador’s pro-life culture made it easy to codify church teaching into law.

Richard Ford has never written a frivolous word. So the title of his latest four related novellas, Let Me Be Frank With You (Harper Collins), should not be dismissed. It is the fourth of the Frank Bascombe series, about a sportswriter turned real estate agent. Beginning with The Sportswriter (1986),

Celebrating El Greco

Each day after her mother's fall had its attendant rituals, including an offering of key lime pie.

As a young seminarian in the 1960s, the Rev. Robert Rosebrough marched for civil rights. For most of his 46 years as a priest, he has worked in inner-city parishes. His parish, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta is in Ferguson, Mo., a short distance from where a white police officer shot an unarmed African

The recent assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family has brought renewed attention to Catholic approaches to gay and lesbian persons. During the synod, church leaders discussed pastoral and theological perspectives regarding the place of homosexual persons in the church, and church teaching vis

Three spiritual books on aging are less about growing old than growing up.

The Catholic Church calls for the creation of job opportunities and the recognition of the dignity of the poor, not simply for more handouts or expanded government welfare programs, Pope Francis said in a video message played on Nov. 20 at the Italian church’s Festival of Catholic Social Teach

Church officials in Goa, India, were expecting more than five million pilgrims for the once-a-decade exposition of the body of St Francis Xavier on Nov. 22. • While officials from the Kenyan government and bishops’ conference met on Nov. 19, Kenya’s Catholic bishops continued to urg

After an early morning attack on a synagogue left four Israelis dead and eight injured on Nov. 18, the Latin Patriarch, Fouad Twal, called for an end to all violence in the Holy Land. “We are praying and waiting. We are sad,” said Patriarch Twal. “We must, all people of responsibil

Giving ThanksRe “Retiring With Dignity,” Mary Ann Walsh, R.S.M. (10/17): Sister Mary Ann couldn’t be more correct in her description of complex decisions facing congregations of men and women religious today. The National Religious Retirement Office provides significant financial a

The night of the Ferguson grand jury announcement was disheartening all around.

Like so many others last night, the congregants at West Side Missionary Baptist Church were glued to televisions as a grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case was announced.One woman sobbed in her chair as she learned that police Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the fatal shooting

Pope Francis sought to inject new life into the old continent by delivering ldquo a message of hope and encouragement to all the citizens of Europe rdquo when he spoke to the European Parliament and to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg France on November 25 nbsp Speaking ldquo as a pastor

I was out of the country when Ferguson erupted over the summer From abroad it looked like the Arab Spring had come to the Midwest Last night as I watched the news coverage it looked the same an angry outraged citizenry clashing with the police power of the state ldquo Unbelievable rdquo was

'Loneliness' one of the most common diseases in Europe today

Later this week the President of the United States the most important person on the planet will pardon a turkey Now if this were quot Scandal quot this tradition might actually make sense insofar as it would give Fitz yet another reason to demand Liv come and visit The scene President Fitz

Through life's many stages, a day to overflow with gratitude for the many blessings from the hand of a loving God.

Police officer Darren Wilson faces no charges for shooting death of teenager Michael Brown.