Pope visits butler in jail, personally delivers pardon

During a 15-minute meeting in the Vatican police barracks, Pope Benedict XVI visited with his former butler, Paolo Gabriele, and told him he was forgiven and was being pardoned.

Pope advances sainthood causes of Pope Paul VI, more than 850 others

Pope Benedict XVI advanced the sainthood cause of Pope Paul VI by recognizing the Italian pope as having lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way. He also recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of an Italian martyr who, with an estimated 800 other people, died at the hands of Ottoman invaders in the 15th century.

Bishops remain focused on ‘responsible restrictions’ on gun ownership

The Catholic bishops of the United States remain focused on seeking "reasonable restrictions" on gun ownership without infringing upon Second Amendment rights as momentum builds to implement new limits on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips.

Motives said to be as varied as the perpetrators in killing sprees

Although the recent spate of mass gun attacks has the same results -- multiple deaths and woundings -- the motivations behind those attacks can be nearly as varied as those who commit those atrocities.

Bishop Pates urges White House to negotiate with Iran to prevent war

The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace called on the White House's national security adviser to pursue negotiations with Iran on its nuclear research to head off the possibility of war.

Religious colleges win legal round with court ruling on HHS suit

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Four days after the first federal appellate-level hearing on two religious colleges' legal challenge to the contraceptive mandate, the appeals court...

More security isn’t answer to prevent shootings, say Catholic educators

In the wake of the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Catholic education officials have primarily focused on providing administrators with the resources they need for teachers and parents to help students cope with the horrific tragedy.

‘Sacramental sense’ of priest’s response after shooting called powerful

The "sacramental sense" of a Catholic pastor's outreach after the horrific violence that took place at a Connecticut elementary school "has brought the Church to bear in the most intimate and powerful way," said the director of communications for the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn.

Irish government announces plans to legalize abortion, with limits

DUBLIN (CNS) -- The Irish government has announced plans to legalize abortion in limited circumstances, but Minister for Health James Reilly insisted his plans will take "full account of the equal right to life of the unborn child."

What can we even say about December’s massacre at Newtown, Conn.?

Adam Lanza murdered his mother, forced his way into a school, and killed 20 children and six adults before killing himself. There was a depressing familiarity to it.