News & Commentary

Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, Calif., the main celebrant, distributes Communion to a detainee during a Mass on the grounds of the ICE Processing Center near Adelanto, Calif., Dec. 10, 2025. Attendees said the Mass, which took place in the Mojave Desert, was deeply emotional for both the bishops and the roughly 300 detainees present.

California bishops celebrate ‘very powerful’ Mass for detainees in ICE facility

A group of seven California bishops celebrated Mass at the ICE Processing Center outside the town of Adelanto in the Mojave Desert on December 10, providing communion to the roughly 300 detainees present.
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Catholic expert warns U.S. democracy faces ‘stress test’ as Trump faces federal criminal charges in Miami

(OSV News) — Former President Donald Trump surrendered to authorities at the federal courthouse in Miami June 13, making his first court appearance after being indicted on 37 federal charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents. The indictment ...
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Almost 7 in 10 Americans say biological sex, not gender identity, should determine sports participation

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — A growing majority of Americans say athletes should compete on men’s or women’s sports teams that correspond to their biological sex rather than their gender identity, according to a June 12 Gallup poll. The new poll ...
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Pope thanks well-wishers for prayers; Vatican says recovery going smoothly

ROME (CNS) — Pope Francis has thanked people for their prayers and many messages of support and affection, said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, in a written statement the evening of June 9. The medical team caring ...
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A young Sudanese woman who fled the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, and was previously internally displaced in Sudan, moves past makeshift shelters, near the border between Sudan and Chad, while taking refuge in Borota, Chad, May 13, 2023. (OSV News photo/Zohra Bensemra, Reuters)

For World Refugee Day, missions highlight programs to aid displaced

In a world where 103 million people are forcibly displaced, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Catholic missionaries are often first responders helping those in need of a new home.
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An art installation representing Russian crimes in Ukraine is seen near the Soviet Military Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, May 9, 2023. (OSV News photo/Slawomir Kaminski, Agencja Wyborcza.pl via Reuters)

Ukrainian Scholars Give Advice to British Experts on Russian Crimes

Leading forensic experts at the British University of Exeter are collecting evidence and testimonies of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. In the course of their work, they met with Ukrainian religious scholars on May 25 to better prepare for future ...
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Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead the World Youth Day prayer vigil at St. John Paul II Field in Panama City Jan. 26, 2019. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See POPE-PANAMA-WYD-VIGIL Jan. 26, 2019.

Pope to hear confessions, eat lunch with young people, at World Youth Day

Pope Francis will have nine events with young people, including hearing their confessions and eating lunch with them, during his Aug. 2-6 trip to Portugal.
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