When Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople meets Pope Francis in Jerusalem on May 25, one of their main discussion topics will be the “diminishing Christian minorities in the Middle East,” the patriarch told Catholic News Service. • The Catholic bishops’ conf
Signs Of the Times
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Oklahoma Bishop: Death Penalty ‘Brutal’
A botched three-drug lethal injection protocol left inmate showing signs of pain.
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Combatting Sexual Assault on Campus
On April 29 the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault issued its first report, which outlines ways to more effectively identify, prevent and respond to sexual violence on campuses.“Colleges and universities can no longer turn a blind eye or pretend rape and sexual assa
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Vatican Lifts Sanctions On Irish Theologian
An Irish priest who was forbidden to write by the Vatican because of his views on human sexuality has had the sanction lifted. The moral theologian Sean Fagan, 86, a Marist priest, had been subject to sanction by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the last six years. The superior gen
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News Briefs
In April the sultanate of Brunei became the first East Asian country to introduce the criminal component of Shariah law at the national level, raising concerns among Buddhist and Christian minorities. • Palestinian Christians welcomed the agreement between rival political factions Fatah an
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Iraqi Refugees Head to the Polls in Jordan
Voters express hope for a change in leadership and greater stability after elections.
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Ministering to Nairobi’s Gays and Lesbians
Rev. John Makokha is working to end to what he calls “religious homophobia” in Kenya.
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Deadly Storms Sweep Southern U.S.
Catholic Charities agencies were on the ground assessing damage after a series of storms with deadly tornadoes and massive floods swept through the southern United States on April 27-29. The storms killed 35 people, left thousands without power and razed homes and businesses.Arkansas and Mississippi
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As Religious Clashes Continue, Calls for Partition Increase
Tensions between Christian and Muslim communities in the Central African Republic appear to be rising. As the predominately Christian anti-balaka (“anti-machete”) militias continue to harass Muslims around the country, there are signs that Seleka rebels, who are mostly Muslim, are attemp
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Unprecedented Double Canonization Draws Multitudes
Canonizing two recent popes in the presence of his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis praised the new saints, John XXIII and John Paul II, as men of courage and mercy who responded to challenges of their time by modernizing the Catholic Church in fidelity to its ancient traditions. “They were