NATION/WORLD

Since November, any time it rains the interior of the Archdiocese of Palo's Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord gets good and wet. Without a roof, most of the church's interior is open to the skies.

The three months of protests in Ukraine that ended with government snipers killing dozens of people strengthened the commitment to democracy of many Ukrainians, but also left the country vulnerable to further violence and division, said the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Celebrating Mass with the newest members of the College of the Cardinals one day after their elevation, Pope Francis urged them to regard their new role not as one of worldly honor but of humble service and sacrifice.

The need for food, clothes and shelter has been constant in a brutal winter marked by soaring snow totals and dangerously plunging cold temperatures this winter.

The tasseled felt hats of German horse riders and the brightly colored head wraps of women from the Antilles were just a few signs of the Catholic Church's universality on display Feb. 22, as pilgrims celebrated the creation of new cardinals.

Being released from prison can be a daunting challenge. Many former prisoners find themselves in unfamiliar cities with little or no money, no job, sometimes no family or friends to help. All of them carry the stigma of having spent time in prison.

The responses to the Vatican questionnaire about Catholics' family life reflect a great amount of suffering around the world, said the general secretary of the synod.

Pope Francis named a French, a Philippine and a Brazilian cardinal to serve as the three presidents of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family in October.

Raising the minimum wage is one step to fixing wage disparities, but only one step. Still, it's the remedy that has been grabbing headlines

The Vatican announced an immediate end to new hires, wage-increases and overtime in an effort to cut costs and offset budget shortfalls.