Pope’s theme for World Communications Day focuses on sharing hope

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a world where so much bad news can anesthetize people or lead them to despair, the media cannot and should not ignore “good news” stories, stories which Christians see as a reflection of the greater news that God is a loving father, a Vatican office said.

Chaldean Catholic bishops call for peace in Iraq, Syria

IRBIL, Iraq (CNS) — Chaldean Catholic bishops, meeting for their annual synod, pleaded for peace in the Middle East and for the liberation of areas seized by the Islamic State group so that the displaced can return to their homes.

Memorial for unborn in Toledo seen as answer to prayers to end abortion [VIDEO]

TOLEDO, Ohio (CNS) — The moment Ann Barrick stepped from the sidewalk onto the crumbling parking lot, her eyes filled with tears.

Shimon Peres, known for efforts to achieve peace, dies at 93

JERUSALEM (CNS) — One of the last ceremonies in which former Israeli President Shimon Peres participated as a public figure took place in the Vatican Gardens in June 2014, the last month of his presidency. Along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he planted an olive tree at the invitation of Pope Francis.

Healing division with tradition: Hispanic ministry seeks unity

A U.S. delegation brought the concerns of the country's Hispanic Catholics to the heart of the church: the threshold of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica.

Monterrey priest goes to peripheries to get to know gangs

MONTERREY, Mexico (CNS) — With his priestly robes and clean-cut appearance, Fr. Jose Luis Guerra hardly looks the part of a gangster. Yet the recently ordained priest hits the streets of a scruffy suburb of this northern Mexican city with his own posse, the Gang of Christ, which takes catechism classes and Christ’s witness out of the parish and into a peripheral place occupied by young men on the margins of society.

Colombian peace agreement is start of change, says Vatican official

CARTAGENA, Colombia (CNS) — To chants of “No more war,” the Colombian government and Marxist rebels signed an agreement to end Latin America’s last armed conflict, which the Vatican’s secretary of state called “the start of a process of positive change for the country.”

Catholic University’s president urges ‘zeal’ in defending religious liberty

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (CNS) — A pharmacy in Olympia, Washington, loses its court challenge to a state law requiring the owners to violate their religious beliefs by supplying emergency contraceptives.

Fr. Kino among those recognized as ‘models of mercy’ at Vatican conference

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A former slave who spent her days caring for the poor and a Jesuit missionary...

Three Mexican priests murdered within days; motives unknown

A priest abducted from his parish residence in the Mexican state of Michoacan was found dead, the Archdiocese of Morelia confirmed Sept. 25. He was the third priest murdered in Mexico within days.