NATION/WORLD

A joint declaration by two U.S. Catholic bishops and two Shiite Islam religious leaders from Iran decries the use, and the threat of use, of weapons of mass destruction.

The pope responded to hundreds of letters from inmates incarcerated for life as juveniles, assuring them of his prayers and that the Lord "knows and loves each one of them." A larger movement of people is working to reform the way in which juveniles are held accountable for crimes committed as youth.

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco said June 16 that his Catholic faith requires him to "proclaim ... the whole truth" in support of traditional marriage.

"If the church is not a mother — I know it is bad to say this, but she becomes an 'old maid,'" and cannot bring forth children," Pope Francis said. The church, he said, must have "a heart without limits, but not just a heart: also a certain gaze, the sweetness of Jesus' gaze, which often is more eloquent than many words."

There's been a huge increase in the number of children traveling alone to flee war or violence calls for urgent action by the international community, a Vatican official said. "A new form of protection" is needed.

Fr. Dennis O’Rourke, VF, pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Cave Creek, received the Brother Barnabas Founders Award honoring his long and meritorious service to the Catholic scouting movement in the United States.

In a soup kitchen just across the U.S. border, Nicole Davison sat down at a table lined with men.The guests all had been recently deported from the United States.

Church officials asked priests who speak English, French, German, Italian and Spanish to celebrate Masses in these languages when the foreign teams are in their cities for the World Cup.

What do you get when you bring hundreds of youth ministers from around the world together for an inspiring four-day conference in the Valley of the Sun? The answer: 700 people on their knees in adoration beholding Jesus, the Lamb of God.

The U.S. bishops, gathered in New Orleans for their spring general assembly June 11-13, were urged to promote and support Catholic families.