The Rev. James Martin, an advocate for LGBTQ inclusion in the church, has been tapped by Pope Francis to attend the synod.

In ‘The Miracle Club,’ Thaddeus O’Sullivan is unafraid to explore more serious topics, such as abortion and suicide, and to reckon with the lingering effects of communal grief.

The basic question centers on whether the present military conflict in Sudan will metastasize into a protracted, all-out civil war as both generals repeat in their own ways the atrocities begun by Mr. al-Bashir years ago in Darfur.

In two recent cases, the Supreme Court seemed to protect religious belief, but in saying that a website developer cannot be compelled to endorse same-sex marriage, it relied on free speech principles.

Pope Francis announced today that he will hold a consistory on Sept. 30 to create 21 new cardinals, 18 of them electors with the right to vote in the next conclave.

“Having reported on all the synods since 1985,” Gerard O’Connell writes, “I have come to believe that this synod could well be the most transformative event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council.”

A Reflection for Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time, by Kevin Clarke

“Back to the Future” teaches us that, while it’s dangerous to dwell on the past, it’s good to visit every now and then.

The popular evangelical minister insists God will bless your life with abundance if you let him. Is that true?

The slate of delegates is emblematic of the at-times competing ideological poles of the U.S. church—and the continued effort by Francis to reorient U.S. bishops toward his vision for the church.