The number of permanent deacons in the Catholic Church in the United States continues to rise, according to a national survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, at Georgetown University. Nationally there are more than 18,000 deacons, about 3,000 of them retired. Many per

Millions of workers are being denied honor and respect because of lack of jobs.

Secretary of State John Kerry and the U.S. State Department significantly raised the bar for both the ambitions and the expectations for upcoming negotiations between West Bank Palestinians and the State of Israel. One wild card in the new discussions, which have set the laudable but so far elusive

As part of the Vatican’s ongoing efforts to ensure that all its financial activity complies with international standards, particularly those aimed at preventing money laundering and possible financing of terrorism, Pope Francis has expanded the role and the reach of the Vatican’s Financi

Italy’s foreign minister, Emma Bonino, told reporters on Aug. 6 that “it seems” the Italian Jesuit priest Paolo Dall’Oglio, missing more than a week in Syria, “has been kidnapped by...a local version of Al Qaeda.” • The attorney Frances X. Hogan, Jane Marie K

Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo, Sri Lanka, expressed “shock and distress,” accusing the Sri Lankan military of storming a Catholic church and firing on those inside. They had sought refuge in the church after a protest over the pollution of a local water source was violently

Conditions for religious minorities in Pakistan are dire, according to a panel of experts.

When entering trade agreements, the United States should support principles that “defend human life and dignity, protect the environment and public health, and promote justice and peace in our world,” wrote the bishops who oversee the justice and peace committees of the U.S. Conference o

The United Nations refugee agency expressed concern for the welfare of civilians.

World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, drew tens of thousands of young people from around the world. It was also attended by a senior citizen from Rome who managed to cause the greatest excitement on the streets of Rio and among the W.Y.D. participants themselves. After a somewhat chaotic arriva