Humanitarian Aid

Archbishop Coakley asked legislators that special consideration be offered “those most vulnerable: the poor, the elderly, the homeless, those in prison or detention facilities, immigrants and refugees, and those with severe underlying health conditions.”

The Lenten season has begun, and more Nigerians are likely to attend religious gatherings. To stall a possible outbreak, however, Archbishop Alfred Martins of the Archdiocese of Lagos said contact should be restricted.

Catholic Relief Services, which works in more than 110 countries, is "restricting all but the most mission-critical travel, with contingency operational plans in place should the disease take hold in any of the countries where the organization operates."

Wealthy philanthropists are not enemies of democracy, writes Joseph J. Dunn. They can identify and respond to problems long before government can act.

The Department of Homeland Security chose not to redesignate Somalia as a T.P.S.-eligible state, a move sought by advocates. Jill Marie Bussey, advocacy director for Clinic, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, called that decision “senseless and cruel.”

The nation’s Catholics have started to reflect on their long-term responsibilities in the face of this unprecedented environmental catastrophe.