NATION/WORLD

At the end of Pope Francis' spontaneity-filled meeting with priests, seminarians and religious in the cathedral of Naples, the vial of dried blood of the city's patron saint appeared to miraculously liquefy.

The number of Catholic marriages in the United States is at its lowest point since 1965.

More than 15,000 Catholics attended "Youth Day," the first day of the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress with one young Scottsdale woman supporting the liturgical movement ministry throughout the four-day event.

Pope Francis shows people that only by walking the Way of the Cross can they discover the "Way of the Light" — the glory of God resurrected and the salvation of mankind, said the Jesuit editor of a new book.

Catholic advocates want to prevent trillions of dollars in social services spending from disappearing over the next decade as Congress seeks to balance the federal budget and reduce the nation's growing debt.

The Catholic Church needs men to fully commit to their faith, and men have all they need from God "to be a force" for the church, a former major league baseball player told a men's conference in Tennessee.

Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh was surprised at her home at the Sisters of Mercy motherhouse in Albany March 12 when visitors presented her with the Catholic Press Association's St. Francis de Sales Award.

Pope Francis announced an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of Mercy, to highlight the Catholic Church's "mission to be a witness of mercy."

Two years after he was elected pope, Pope Francis' popularity rating among U.S. Catholics is at 90 percent, surpassing Pope Benedict XVI's best-ever popularity, and rivaling that of St. John Paul II.

Hearing a Catholic's confession should be awe-inspiring for a priest, an experience that makes him look at his own life and willingness to convert, Pope Francis told a group of seminarians, new priests and priests.