Speaking at a conference on the potential and current humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons a two-day event which drew the participation of 150 nations and media from around the world but which has been largely ignored in the United States a representative of the Holy See questioned the persisten

The rain is falling softly in the evening December chill in Vienna but that has done little to deter the tourists crowding the city rsquo s Christmas markets The historic city center is awash on Dec 6 with Christmas lights and decorations and young and old are out each evening making merry and

The scenes of chaos and violence in Ferguson, Missouri, on Nov. 24 following the grand jury's decision not to indict the white police officer in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an African-American teenager, reveal deeper issues going on in the country, said one of the country's black Ca

Catholic aid workers and clergy are finding that life and coexistence are becoming increasingly difficult in Jerusalem as tensions simmer and violence between Israelis and Palestinians mount with no end in sight.Acts of violence, seemingly one retaliatory measure after another, have occurred since J

The 77-year-old grandson of European immigrants to Argentina, Pope Francis urged the European Parliament to value the continent's faiths and recuperate a sense of responsibility for the common good to rejuvenate Europe's social, political and economic life."In many quarters we encounter

The recent assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family has brought renewed attention to Catholic approaches to gay and lesbian persons. During the synod, church leaders discussed pastoral and theological perspectives regarding the place of homosexual persons in the church, and church teaching vis

Giving ThanksRe “Retiring With Dignity,” Mary Ann Walsh, R.S.M. (10/17): Sister Mary Ann couldn’t be more correct in her description of complex decisions facing congregations of men and women religious today. The National Religious Retirement Office provides significant financial a

'Loneliness' one of the most common diseases in Europe today

Family RevelationRe “Go in Peace” (Editorial, 11/10): St. Pope John Paul II, in “Familiaris Consortio,” states that “The Christian family is a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason too it can and should be called ‘the dome

In “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis thoughtfully asked for suggestions for church reform that might better meet the needs of evangelization today. I trust he is getting a strong response! As an observer at the Vatican conference Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature, I would like