By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — Talk of President Donald Trump possibly signing an executive order on religious freedom — which drew both criticism and praise — has been replaced with discussion about what happened to it and what a final version, if there is one, will look like. A …

By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sexual abuse of children by those who have vowed to serve Christ and the church is a horrendous monstrosity that represents “a diabolical sacrifice” of innocent, defenseless lives, Pope Francis said. The church, which must protect the weakest, has a duty “to …

By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Obeying the true spirit of the commandments and not just a literal interpretation of them is what makes Christians become authentic witnesses, Pope Francis said. As seen through Mary’s example, following the commandments “is possible with the grace of the Holy Spirit …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Without commenting on the authenticity of alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pope Francis has appointed a Polish archbishop to study the pastoral needs of the townspeople and the thousands of pilgrims who flock to the town each year. The …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — A massive donation of Ethiopian religious manuscripts to The Catholic University of America in Washington makes the school one of the largest holders of such texts outside Ethiopia. The value of the donation, by Gerald and Barbara Weiner of Chicago, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Maria Dominguez By Nancy Wiechec FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (CNS) — An immigrant teacher and White House honoree fears President Donald Trump is undermining the community she has fought to lift up. “It’s only been two, three weeks since he was sworn in and I can see the fear …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Mohammed Badra, EPA By WASHINGTON (CNS) — Christians and all people in the Middle East need the solidarity of the U.S. Catholic Church, said the chairmen of three committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the head of the Catholic Relief Services board. “A concern for …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Kamil Krzaczynski, Reuters By WASHINGTON (CNS) — The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration welcomed a federal appeals court ruling that upheld a temporary restraining order against President Donald Trump’s travel ban on refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries that also temporarily suspended the country’s refugee …

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A nation’s health care system cannot be run simply as a business because human lives are at stake, Pope Francis said. “If there is a sector in which the ‘throwaway culture’ demonstrates its most painful consequences, it is the health care sector,” the …

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Satan is a liar and a cheat who promises people everything then leaves them with nothing, Pope Francis said at his early morning Mass. In his homily Feb. 10, Pope Francis contrasted the way Eve interacted with the serpent in the garden of …