News & Commentary
Church activists struggle against growing slavery-like labor in Brazil
The number of people working in slavery-like conditions in Brazil is the highest in 11 years. With 1,443 identified cases from Jan. 1 to June 14, the first half of 2023 already has the highest number of such occurrences in ...
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Biden vows to push Congress to codify Roe, while pro-lifers celebrate first anniversary of Dobbs
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — In a statement to mark the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling, President Joe Biden said June 24 that his administration “will continue to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress ...
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With doctor’s OK, pope says he is ready for World Youth Day
With a green light from his doctor, Pope Francis has assured young people that he will be with them in Portugal for World Youth Day despite his recent surgery.
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Federal judge nixes Arkansas ban on gender reassignment procedures for minors
A federal judge struck down as unconstitutional an Arkansas ban on some surgeries or hormonal interventions for minors seeking gender reassignment June 20, the first ruling to overturn such a law as a growing number of states with Republican-led governments ...
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As refugee numbers rise, Catholic agencies urge more support
On World Refugee Day, organized every year on June 20 by the United Nations, a senior official of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) urged increased support for migrants, as he warned that Sudan's massive human movement due to war risked ...
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Synagogue shooter’s conviction ‘sends message’ against antisemitism, say experts
(OSV News) — The conviction of a mass shooter who murdered 11 people and wounded six more at a Pittsburgh synagogue during services “sends a clear message” against antisemitism, while challenging Catholics to ensure such attacks never happen again, experts ...
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Vatican hosts astronomers of tomorrow for summer school
In the hilltop town home to the former summer residence of popes, two domes tower over residences and restaurants: the Baroque dome of a church topped with an iron cross and another that can be opened to reveal a now-retired optical telescope belonging to the Vatican’s astronomical observatory.