Pope holds ‘virtual town hall’ with ABC and Catholics in 3 cities
Portions of the meeting aired during ABC's "World News Tonight" Aug. 31, with an hour-long version airing Sept. 4 on "20/20" and full versions in English and Spanish coming to abcnews.com.
Priests in U.S., Canada can already absolve women who had abortions
BALTIMORE (CNS) — Pope Francis’ Sept. 1 announcement that priests worldwide will be able to absolve women for the sin of abortion will have...
Church agencies highlight growing urgency of Europe’s refugee crisis
Catholic aid agencies have urged Europeans not to turn against migrants seeking refuge from Syria and other countries, in what media reports describe as the continent's greatest refugee movement since World War II.
Cardinal: Britons crying out for more generous response to migrants
Shocking images of bodies washed up on beaches in the Mediterranean — including one of a drowned Syrian boy lying face down — are revealing “the human face of this suffering," Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said.
Just one smile from a loving family can warm coldest world, pope says
"Let us not lose hope," Pope Francis said. "Where there is a family with love, that family is able to warm the heart of an entire city with its witness of love."
Citing Pope Francis, bishops call on Congress to renew religious freedom commission
WASHINGTON (CNA/EWTN News) — Congress has only one month to reauthorize the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Many human rights activists and religious leaders have stressed its importance, and the nation’s bishops suggest the commission would help the U.S. fulfill Pope Francis’ call to protect religious minorities.
Pope listens to what Francis of Assisi can teach us about creation
VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) — On the first World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the preacher to the papal household said that St. Francis of Assisi is a key model in showing the link between faith in God and care for our common home.
Observers expect Pope Francis to affirm and challenge politicians during visit
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — Flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner — two high-profile Catholic politicians — the visual of Pope Francis’ Sept. 24 address to Congress will signal an evolving narrative. The improbability of a pope standing before a joint meeting of Congress comes in an era of wider acceptance of the Catholic faith as it intersects with public life and U.S. politics, and indicates a comfort level between the two that wouldn’t have been imaginable several decades ago, observers said.
Pope urges prayers for creation Sept. 1
The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation should be a time for individuals to examine their lifestyles and the way they impact the environment, Pope Francis said.
Good, evil come from the human heart, not the outside world, pope says
The outside world is not what "makes us saints or not saints, rather it is the heart that expresses our intentions, our choices and the desire to do everything for God's love," Pope Francis said.
