News & Commentary

The caskets of senior Democratic state assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, lie in state June 27, 2025, at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul.

Slain Minnesota lawmaker, husband remembered for lives lived ‘with purpose, meaning’

Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were shot dead in their home June 14, were remembered at their funeral Mass June 28 for living their lives "with purpose and meaning."
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Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile as he prepares to lead a Pentecost prayer vigil in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican June 7, 2025, with participants in the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Holy Spirit fosters unity, peace, justice, pope says at Pentecost vigil

On the eve of Pentecost, Pope Leo XIV prayed that the Holy Spirit would help Catholic lay associations, movements and communities live the Gospel before trying to preach it and would be a force for unity in the church and in the ...
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Blessed Carlo Acutis stands near his computer in a scene from a stop-motion animation Lego-Carlo Acutis film made by three brothers in County Limerick, Ireland, and released in mind-May 2025 on their YouTube channel, Fiontar Floinn. To the right in the background is a photo of Carlo (1996-2006).

Inspired by soon-to-be-saint, Irish teens create animated Lego-Carlo Acutis film

In rural Limerick, three teenage brothers are turning Lego into a tool for evangelization as Blessed Carlo Acutis continues to inspire a new generation of digital evangelists.
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People are pictured in a file photo standing on the steps of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in New York City.

Report: Immigration data ‘much lower’ than Trump administration claims

New data shows that the number of immigrants lacking permanent legal status in the U.S. "is much lower than the Trump administration claims," and "talk of an invasion is overblown," said J. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications ...
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People gather for a prayer vigil in Boulder, Colo., June 2, 2025, beside a makeshift memorial at the scene of an attack that injured multiple people outside the Boulder County Courthouse.

Colorado faith leaders express sorrow over attack on rally for release of Hamas hostages

As Boulder residents reeled from a violent attack on peaceful demonstrators June 1 who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, area faith leaders expressed sorrow over the attack and urged an end to such violence.
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Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, kneels at El Paso's Memorial Park holding a "Black Lives Matter" sign June 1, 2020.

The Catholic Church and racism, 5 years after George Floyd

Five years after the death of George Floyd, there is much work still to be done in the church to address the sin of racism.
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Young Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive react May 21, 2025, while waiting to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen in Gaza City, Gaza Strip.

Situation in Gaza reaches ‘catastrophic levels,’ warns Catholic humanitarian organization

Food insecurity in the Gaza Strip "has reached catastrophic levels," a Catholic humanitarian organization has warned.
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