Because of a predicted snowstorm in Washington, the St. Louis archdiocesan Catholic Youth Apostolate canceled its Generation Life pilgrimage to the March for Life.About 2,200 teens, adult chaperones, volunteers and staff were expected to participate in the 43rd annual march Jan. 22.The youth apostol

At a Jesuit-sponsored Mass, students heard that "Our efforts are to be able to create the same amount of space for people to change their hearts."

"In spite of the borders and boundaries that exist, we see ourselves as one great Catholic community, and we are immensely grateful and honored that our universal pastor, Pope Francis, has chosen to come to our area," Bishop Seitz said in a Jan. 18 statement. "We celebrate this great day for our brothers and sisters in Juarez."

"It's not about service, we should be out on the streets protesting," Rev. Cean James, founding pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship Church in Philadelphia, said. "Given the lack of change in society since the death of Dr. King, a true revolution of values is needed. It should be a day of protest against injustice. We have been silent for a long time."

"No child should be told that there is no room for them. The womb should not be the child's tomb," Archbishop Cupich told the crowd. "We just celebrated Christmas, the season that features the birth of a child, a season of new life and new beginning. A child, like no one else, creates and fosters hope in our world."

"Puerto Rico's debt comes from a combination of mismanagement, bad luck and its unique colonial status as neither a sovereign country nor a U.S. state," wrote Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan.

Catholic advocacy agencies quickly joined the pushback after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the beginning of the year arrested immigrants, all Central American families, who were in the United States illegally.After a series of meetings with Homeland Security officials Jan. 11, Senate

Michael B. Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops in Tallahassee, said the conference was "pleased this decision was issued so promptly" on what was the first day of Florida's 2016 legislative session. "This should compel the Legislature to address the issue immediately," he said.

"It is absurd to force a pharmacy to sell drugs against their conscience when there are over 30 pharmacies within five miles that already sell the exact same drugs," said a Jan. 4 statement by  Luke Goodrich, deputy general counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the pharmacists. "This law does nothing but punish people of faith."

"Our society is increasingly aware of the flaws in the application of the death penalty, which is inconsistent, arbitrary and too often applied in error," wrote Michael Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.