On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina buried one of the world’s most iconic cities in a flood of biblical proportions. More than 1,800 people lost their lives. “It was like a war zone. No sign of life,” said the now-retired archbishop of New Orleans, Alfred C. Hughes. Across the regi

When Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago received the pallium on his shoulders Aug. 23, he did so in a demonstration of unity that he said extended from the people in the pews to the bishops who joined him in the sanctuary to Pope Francis.He was invested with the pallium by Archbishop Carlo Maria

"The jubilee...serves as an economic clean slate that mirrors the forgiveness and new beginning proclaimed in the Gospels."

In a statement released on Aug. 11, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, the head of the Philippine bishops’ conference, said helping the poor and getting rid of political dynasties should be the focus of discussion as the nation prepares for elections in May. • Five years af

To promote a reflection on the need for a “conversion of mind and heart” open to the needs of others, Pope Francis has chosen “Overcome indifference and win peace” as the theme for the church’s celebration of the next World Day of Peace. Announcing the theme for the cel

The Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land filed an official complaint with Israeli police after the leader of a radical Israeli movement offered remarks to the press that seemed to encourage the burning of churches. The Rev. Pietro Felet, the assembly’s secretary general, filed

The Conference of Major Superiors of Men passed a resolution on Aug. 7 committing to “a deeper engagement” to protect the earth and “cherish all creation.” The conference, made up of leaders who represent more than 17,000 Catholic religious brothers and priests in the United

U.S. Catholic leaders have called on Congress to ensure that the federal minimum wage is raised to “improve the financial security of millions of American families.” In a letter, dated July 28, Bishop Thomas Wenski, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human

As hidden-camera videos of Planned Parenthood staff strategizing to market fetal tissue and organs continued to be released on the Internet, rallies took place in 65 cities across the nation. Pro-life advocates from across the Salt Lake Valley in Utah demonstrated peacefully in front of a Planned Pa

Concerns about a potential humanitarian emergency were mounting in late July as people of Haitian descent began to be forced out of the Dominican Republic and into tent cities along the border with Haiti. • A decision by the Boy Scouts of America on July 27 to allow gay troop leaders and employ