The Catholic Sun

Three bishops weighed in on the ongoing congressional debate on immigration reform legislation June 10, warning against amending a Senate bill in ways that would block the path to legalization for undocumented immigrants, but urged support for its passage.

Priests in the Diocese of Phoenix now have a house of prayer where they can take time away for prayer and solitude. Merciful Heart Hermitage was established May 21 by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. The oratory, as it is referred to in canon law, is on the premises of the former residence of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration.

A lunchtime sidewalk rally in front of an abortion facility just north of downtown Phoenix June 6 drew people from all over the Valley. They came to voice their concern about late-term abortions, and more particularly, infanticide.

A church that is rich and lacking in praise for the Lord is an old, lifeless church that neglects the true treasure of God's free gift of grace and salvation, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

A priest who directs the Jesuit Cultural Center in Alexandria, Egypt, blasted Western support of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during a visit to Parliament Hill.

Don't look now, but Dolores Hart is about to become a star again, 50 years after her last movie. Hart -- that's Mother Dolores, the prioress of a Benedictine women's monastery in Bethlehem, Conn. -- has just had her memoir published a year after a documentary featuring her life in as a cloistered nun picked up an Oscar nomination for best documentary short subject.

Religious freedom is talked about more than it is protected, Pope Francis said. "The serious violations inflicted on this basic right are causes of serious concern," and the world's nations must act together to uphold "the intangible dignity of the human person against every attack," he said.

Unlike many of his predecessors since the early 1600s, Pope Francis has decided not to spend the summer months at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome, although he will observe a reduced schedule in July and August.

Catholic laity have an obligation to root out traces of xenophobia in their hearts and recognize refugees as their brothers and sisters -- children of God whose dignity must be protected, said a new Vatican document.

Those who suffer are brothers and sisters Catholics must pray for, not cases to be analyzed or examples to be used in debates, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.