WASHINGTON D.C., May 6, 2013–The U.S. bishops have reiterated their support for a federal regulation that would block American investments from supporting militias in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The rule is consistent with Catholic teaching on protection of human life and dignity,” wrote Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, to Bishop [...]

WASHINGTON D.C., May 4, 2013–A recent report on international religious liberty cautioned that severe threats to freedom of religion exist in diverse communities through the world and should be discouraged through actions by the U.S. government. “The Annual Report ultimately is about people and how their governments treat them,” said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, chair [...]

BRAZIL, May 2, 2013–The Catholic Church has excommunicated a Brazilian priest after he defended homosexuality, open marriage and other practices counter to Church teaching in online videos. In a statement released late on Monday, the priest’s diocese said Father Roberto Francisco Daniel, known to local parishioners as Padre Beto, had “in the name of ‘freedom [...]

WASHINGTON D.C., May 1, 2013–No news has emerged of the two kidnapped Orthodox bishops in Syria, more than a week since their disappearance, and reports have now surfaced that one is in grave need of medications for his health conditions. “We still do not know where the two archbishops are or who has taken them,” [...]

WASHINGTON D.C., April 30, 2013–The U.S. bishops have responded to President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget proposal with a call to give high priority to funding for those in need. “As persistently high poverty and unemployment plague our nation, and war and crushing poverty tear families apart around the world, a just framework for future budgets [...]

WASHINGTON D.C., April 30, 2013–The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has hired religious liberty attorney and mother of six Kim Daniels as spokesperson for conference president Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. The bishops’ conference said April 29 that it “welcomes” Daniels, who brings with her experience as director of Catholic Voices USA, a lay Catholic organization [...]

GUETEMALA City, Guatemala, April 30, 2013–During a Mass to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi’s death, Archbishop Oscar Julio Vian of Guatemala City recalled the late bishop as a “martyr of peace.” The Mass was celebrated upon conclusion of a document about the violence caused by the Guatemalan civil war from 1960-1996. Numerous [...]

BROOKLYN, N.Y., April 26, 2013–A new ad campaign by the Diocese of Brooklyn is hoping to attract the unchurched, with a series of posters calling Christ “The original hipster,” as well as ads designed for gyms and bars. “We’re called to go where the people are…to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ where people are, [...]

WASHINGTON D.C., April 26, 2013—The Archdiocese for Military Services received a new auxiliary bishop on Thursday, as Msgr. Robert J. Coyle was ordained with exhortations to remain humble, vigilant and faithful to the Gospel. “The successor of the apostles is humble and recognizes that he has received everything from God. He is sober and alert [...]

MIAMI, Fla., April 26, 2013—Discussing the push for same-sex “marriage,” Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami told judges and lawyers at the city’s 2013 Red Mass that freedom and law must be based on reality and objective truth. “When a democracy bases itself on moral relativism and when it considers every ethical principle or value [...]