News & Commentary

Pope Leo XIV prays in front of a fresco of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

Pope Leo leaves Vatican to visit Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Less than 48 hours after being elected, Pope Leo XIV got in the front seat of a minivan and traveled 40 miles southeast from the Vatican to pray at a Marian shrine cared for by his Augustinian confreres.
Read More →

N.Y. priests urged not to give religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccines

As some Catholics are seeking a religious exemption to the coronavirus vaccine mandates that are becoming more common in workplaces and even some public venues, priests in the Archdiocese of New York have been advised not to get involved in ...
Read More →

‘Today is a day of strength’: Mass commemorates Beirut blast victims

A year after the catastrophic Beirut port blast, the wounds of the people in Lebanon are scarred by the memory of the tragedy, and cries for justice escalate. This year, Aug. 4 was declared a national day of mourning in ...
Read More →

CDC urges continuation of public health rule that keeps out migrants

To the dismay of immigration advocates, the Biden administration announced Aug. 2 it would continue implementing a public health rule enforced by the Trump administration, saying migrants at U.S. border crossings would be turned away to keep COVID-19 at bay.
Read More →

USCCB, Catholic groups, politicians back Mississippi in court abortion case

Catholic leaders, pro-life organizations, Republican members of Congress and several governors are among those on a long list of supporters backing Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Read More →

Two Catholic groups: No vaccine mandate without conscience protections

Two Catholic organizations issued statements in July urging against imposing a coronavirus vaccine mandate without conscience, religious or medical exemptions.
Read More →

South Korea honors Father Kapaun with country’s highest military honor

Father Emil Kapaun, a priest of the Wichita Diocese who laid down his life as a military chaplain during the Korean War, received South Korea's highest military decoration posthumously in Seoul July 27.
Read More →