News

U.S. Bishops to Vote on New Translation of MassThe U.S. bishops will be asked to approve a new translation of the Order of Mass when they meet in Los Angeles on June 15-17. If the new translation is adopted as proposed and subsequently approved by the Vatican, Catholics will have to learn a number o

Pope: Peace Entails Religious FreedomPeace and justice in the world require respect for religious freedom, solidarity and policies that look beyond economic gain and show respect for the environment, Pope Benedict XVI told five new ambassadors to the Vatican. Peace is rooted in respect for religious

U.S. Bishops Urge Immigration ReformPresident George W. Bush’s address on May 15 about immigration reform received mixed reviews from advocates for immigrants, who expressed gratitude for his support of legalization for illegal immigrants but had concerns about his plan to deploy National Guar

Catholic Leaders Urge Calm in East TimorCatholic Church leaders in East Timor have called for calm as troops continue to patrol the tense streets of Dili in the wake of a riot by hundreds of dismissed soldiers and about 1,000 of their supporters. Army protesters and their sympathizers took to the st

Peace Gathering Marks 20 Years Since AssisiThemes of prayer, peace, justice, love, dialogue and care for the poor intermingled as representatives of world religions gathered in Washington, D.C., on April 26 for the 2006 International Prayer for Peace. It marked the 20th anniversary of the first such

Archbishop Calls for More Spanish-Language RadioArchbishop Elden F. Curtiss of Omaha has encouraged his fellow U.S. bishops to develop Spanish-language Catholic radio stations as a way of reaching Hispanic Catholics. With the Hispanic population growing rapidly in the United States, many dioceses fa

New U.S. Ecumenical Group FoundedChristian Churches Together in the USAthe broadest, most inclusive ecumenical movement in U.S. historywas officially founded during a gathering near Atlanta, Ga., on March 28-31. Its founding 34 Christian churches and national organizations represent more than 100 mi

Jerusalem Church Leaders on Israeli ElectionsThe Patriarchs and church leaders of Jerusalem have issued the following statement, dated March 29, written after the elections in Israel. It read in part:The Israeli citizens voted yesterday for a new Knesset, from whose members a government is expected

Harassed Christians in India Get Morale BoostMembers of the small Christian community in India’s Rajasthan state expressed elation when hundreds of activistsincluding Muslims and secular groupsjoined them to protest the harassment of Christians. Up to 6,000 Christians and others marched silent

Chicago Reports Criticize Handling of AbuseThe Archdiocese of Chicago released on March 20 two reports highly critical of its handling of sexual abuse by clerics. One report focuses on the handling of the cases of priests who were monitored but not immediately removed from ministry after abuse alleg