Auxiliary bishop joins immigration experts in debate

TEMPE — Auxiliary Bishop Edurado A. Nevares joined top local and national immigration experts in an immigration reform debate Dec. 14 at Rio Salado College.

Judge says employer objections to HHS mandate based on religious rights

NEW YORK (CNS) -- A spokesman for the New York Archdiocese said the archdiocese "welcomes and applauds" a Dec. 13 ruling by a federal judge granting Catholic organizations in the archdiocese and the neighboring Diocese of Rockville Centre a permanent injunction on having to comply with the federal contraceptive mandate in the health care law.

Pope Francis is third pope to win Time’s Person of the Year honor

Pope Francis is not seeking fame or accolades, but being named Time magazine's Person of the Year will make him happy if it helps attract people to the hope of the Gospel, said the Vatican spokesman.

Pope calls on Catholics to end world hunger, join in ‘wave of prayer’

Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted has asked that parishes, schools and individuals join Pope Francis in his call to unite in prayer and action against global hunger.

Calls to hike minimum wage echo long-standing Catholic social teaching

When fast-food workers across the country walked off their jobs demanding higher wages Dec. 5, their actions should have caught the attention of the nation's Catholics, say those who stress that the call for a living wage echoes long-standing Catholic social teaching.

Nelson Mandela 1918-2013: South African cardinal recalls the blessing of ‘Madiba’

Nelson Mandela, who led the struggle to replace South Africa's apartheid regime with a multiracial democracy, died Dec. 5 at his home in Johannesburg.

Pope to set up advisory commission on sexual abuse

Pope Francis accepted a proposal to set up a special commission on the sexual abuse of children, which will advise him on ways to prevent abuse and provide pastoral care for victims and their families.

Lawsuit says USCCB health care directives led to woman’s negligent care

Lawyers for a woman who claims she suffered a miscarriage because of the way a Michigan Catholic hospital handled her case have filed suit on her behalf against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops over its "Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care."

USCCB evangelization chair, others laud pope’s apostolic exhortation

Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel") has prompted plenty of commentary, and not exclusively from Catholic circles.

Pope, cardinal council begin work on reorganizing Roman Curia

Pope Francis and the eight members of his international Council of Cardinals have begun their discussions on specific ways to reorganize the Roman Curia, looking first at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, the Vatican spokesman said.