Bishops OK plan to address pornography in new statement
The U.S. bishops Nov. 12 approved the development of a pastoral statement on the dangers pornography poses to family life that would serve as a teaching tool for church leaders.
Archbishop Kurtz, Cardinal DiNardo elected to top USCCB posts
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by a wide margin Nov. 12. The archbishop, the current USCCB vice president, received 125 votes during the first round of balloting during the fall general assembly of the U.S. bishops in Baltimore.
Desperate Filipinos add to challenging logistics of delivering aid
International and local groups were poised to get aid to the worst-hit areas of the typhoon-stricken central Philippines, but the challenges of getting help to communities growing desperate for food and water went beyond just making sure roads were clear.
Archbishop: DOMA ruling, ENDA passage put marriage at ‘critical point’
The Supreme Court's ruling that rendered the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, and the Senate's passage Nov. 7 of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act put the legal defense of marriage "at a critical point in this country," said the archbishop who heads the U.S. bishops' Subcommittee on the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.
At Manila air base, distraught family members hope for plane to Leyte
The back entry to the grandstand at the Villamor Air Base was teeming with people as the noon sun peaked. It was Nov. 11, three days after Super Typhoon Haiyan pounded the central Philippine islands, leaving a path of overwhelming destruction that emergency and relief workers were hard-pressed to penetrate.
‘Putrid’ hypocrisy worse than mere sin, pope says
God loves and forgives sinners but abhors and condemns "putrid" hypocrites who lead others to sin, Pope Francis said.
Cardinal Dolan urges bishops to make religious freedom a priority
New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan called upon his brother bishops to champion the cause of people around the world being persecuted because of their faith even as the bishops continue to prevent what he described as infringements upon religious practice in the United States.
Vatican envoy reminds U.S. bishops: No ruling on Medjugorje apparitions
The Vatican ambassador to the United States has reminded U.S. Catholics that the Vatican has not recognized alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, as authentic.
Panelists recall lessons from last effort to fix immigration problems
The last time Congress attempted a full-blown fix of immigration law in 1986, the major accomplishments were that a few million people won legal status and some employment verification systems were created, but the legislation proved inadequate to repair systemic problems, according to panelists at a migration law and policy conference.
Pope says God never tires of offering sinners eternal life
God never ceases to forgive, offering even the disobedient the chance for eternal life, Pope Francis said.