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Patriarch’s Hopes for Papal Visit to TurkeyEcumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople said he hopes Pope Benedict XVI’s November trip to Turkey will help calm recent tensions with Islam and advance his church’s struggle for religious rights. Patriarch Bartholomew,

At U.N. Holy See Cites Ideologies of ForceAddressing the 61st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 27, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican’s special envoy, contended that a lack of political consensus and an ideology of force undermine the cause of peace. It is not so much

In the Sept. 25 issue of America, Professor Marci A. Hamilton joined with Voice of the Faithful in renewing their call for “window” legislation. Window legislation retroactively suspends the statute of limitation for childhood sexual abuse damage claims so that lawsuits filed during a sp

Study Reports Influences on Newly Ordained PriestsAccording to a new study, recently ordained priests are now older and more culturally diverse than those of 15 years ago. The major theological influence on new priests was Pope John Paul II. The German Jesuit Karl Rahner, who easily ranked at the to

Vatican Observatory Head Says He Was Not FiredGeorge Coyne, S.J., who headed the Vatican Observatory for more than 28 years, said suggestions that he was forced out of the post by Pope Benedict XVI are simply not true. The Vatican announced on Aug. 19 that Father Coyne, 73, would be stepping down as

Capuchins Elect Mountain Climber to Head OrderRepresentatives of the Capuchins overwhelmingly elected the Swiss provincial superior, Mauro Johri, to head the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin for the next six years. The 59-year-old friar replaces John Corriveau, O.F.M.Cap., a Canadian, who is leaving a

Catholic Common Ground Marks 10th AnniversaryListening has to be an essential ingredient in relationships within the church, just as it must be in all healthy relationships, said the keynote speaker at an event at Loyola University in Chicago on Aug. 11 marking the 10th anniversary of the Catholic C

Christians Flee Sectarian Violence in IraqHalf of all Iraqi Christians have fled their country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, said the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad. Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad, a Chaldean Catholic, said that before the invasion there were about 1.2 million Christ

Knights’ Relief Quick and Generous The $10 million raised by the Knights of Columbus for hurricane relief on the Gulf Coast represents the largest disaster relief effort in the organization’s 124-year history, reported Patrick Korten, vice president for communications. Almost before the

Church Leaders Call for Peace in MideastPope Benedict XVI endorsed a declaration by the Group of 8 that criticized the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah for fueling an escalation in fighting and urged Israel to exercise restraint. "I find myself in full agreement with the G-8 communiqué,&quo