In Middle East, a year marked by upheaval leaves millions suffering
The story of the Middle East in 2014 is one of war and displacement, broken families and tireless aid workers, and the rise of a new group one scholar referred to as "al-Qaida on steroids." It's a story of populations stretched to the limit, but still welcoming more refugees as neighbors. And it's a tale of religious leaders calling for prayer, meeting for dialogue and urging an end to the violence.
Pope Francis credited for urging U.S., Cuba to normalize relations
Pope Francis personally appealed to President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro this year to encourage both leaders to normalize diplomatic relations, a senior Obama administration official said.
Indiana man’s handcrafted Nativity stables reflect stories of faith
Ed Kirschner knows there's one thing he can count on when people visit his small shop where he creates Nativity stables. Before long, the visitors will start sharing stories about Christmases from their past, focusing on memories of the Nativity sets that their parents and grandparents displayed through the years.
Though painful at times, visitation was positive, speakers say
The apostolic visitation of U.S. communities of religious women, though initially met with some resistance, ended up promoting a greater sense of unity in the church and helped the women become more aware of how God is working in their lives, said the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Vatican report calls U.S. women religious to continued dialogue
A massive, detailed Vatican-ordered investigation of U.S. communities of women religious ended with a call to the women themselves to continue discerning how best to live the Gospel in fidelity to their orders' founding ideals while facing steeply declining numbers and a rapidly aging membership.
Sydney archbishop: Darkness of siege cannot overcome Christ’s light
Hell has touched Sydney, but the darkness let loose on a terrorized city cannot overcome the light of Christ, the city's archbishop said at a special Dec. 16 Mass after a lone gunman took 17 people hostage in a cafe, killing two before being shot by police.
Mom who lost son in Sandy Hook massacre urges people to ‘let love lead’
Nicole Hockley's message from Newtown, Connecticut, to people at two different venues in the Dubuque area was clear: "Our hearts are broken, but our spirit is not."
Just Philly for a papal visit? Catholics hope other cities get added
The only city officially announced for a September visit by Pope Francis is Philadelphia, but other cities are still making their bid to be part of a papal itinerary.
Vatican: Preserving ethnological artifacts, helping others do the same
One of Rome's best-kept secrets is the collection of 100,000 ethnological artifacts housed in a special section of the Vatican Museums.
Announcing new series of talks about family, pope reviews synod
The October extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family was not the scene of "a clash between factions, but of a debate among bishops," a work that will continue with the 2015 general synod "for the good of families, the church and society," Pope Francis said.
