A painful irony today is that Erbil—once a refuge for displaced Christian families—has become one of the Iraqi cities most frequently exposed to missile and drone attacks as war between U.S.-Israel and Iran continues.
Politics & Society
Posted inDispatches
Ten years after her murder, indigenous leader Berta Cáceres remains a beacon of hope in Honduras
“It seems that there are powerful groups who are preventing justice from prevailing,” Bishop Jenry Ruiz said at the celebration of life for Berta Cáceres on March 1.
Posted inDispatches
Cardinals McElroy and Cupich denounce Iran war: ‘War now has become a spectator sport.’
“A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it’s a video game—it’s sickening,” Cardinal Blase Cupich said.
Posted inThe Weekly Dispatch
A Catholic guide to understanding the war with Iran
The church’s just war tradition has been challenged by contemporary theologians as insufficient and outdated, yet it remains a worthy filter through which to judge the moral defensibility of a turn to war-making.
Posted inThe Weekly Dispatch
A Pentagon showdown with Anthropic and the hazards of A.I. warfare
Even among the proponents of A.I. platforms can be found innovators who harbor deep misgivings about where A.I. may be leading.
Posted inDispatches
Q&A: Why did the Vatican pass on Trump’s Board of Peace?
As Cardinal Secretary of State Parolin said, the Holy See insists on the importance of participation by the United Nations in Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
Posted inDispatches
Mexico burns after drug cartel leader is captured and killed
Mexico exploded in violence after special forces killed drug cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, leader of the fearsome Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Its foot soldiers fanned out across 20 states, burning vehicles and buildings in attacks claiming at least 70 lives, including 25 National Guard members.
Posted inDispatches
U.S. border bishops urge change on deportations ahead of Trump SOTU address
A group of 18 Catholic bishops and archbishops, primarily from border dioceses, repeated a long-standing endorsement of comprehensive immigration reform hours ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union address.
Posted inDispatches
Four years of war: ‘The Ukrainian Catholic Church is wiped out every time there is Russian aggression.’
Four years into the war, when Russian attacks on the power grid in the middle of a brutal winter have caused suffering for millions, the needs are as urgent as ever. For Ukrainian refugees in the United States, uncertainty is the word of the day.
Posted inDispatches
Catholic leaders enter Chicago-area ICE facility on Ash Wednesday after months of denied access
“It was a very good beginning,” Father Fossá said. “There was no tension. We felt welcomed. So if this continues, I think we could establish a ministry that will be very beneficial to the families.”