IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Mercy is not an abstract concept but a lifestyle that invites Christians to make an examination of conscience and ask themselves if they place the spiritual and material needs of others before their own, Pope Francis said. A Christian …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Octavio Duran By Rhina Guidos WASHINGTON (CNS) — Relics of Blessed Oscar Romero, including a handkerchief with blood from the day he was assassinated, will briefly be part of the U.S. Catholic Church’s Fortnight for Freedom observance July 1 in Los Angeles. A handkerchief with blood from the …

IMAGE: CNS illustration/Liz Agbey By Chaz Muth COLUMBIA, S.C. (CNS) — When Father Adam Muda arrived at the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson earlier this year, he noticed prominent signs for a museum that showcased the history of what he was about to become. The U.S. …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — New archbishops naturally wonder if they are the right person for the job, but reassurance comes from concelebrating Mass with Pope Francis, the pope who appointed them, said Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Celebrating the feast of …

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The superior general of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X said Pope Francis, rather than denouncing errors in Catholic doctrine, has “encouraged” them. “The Society of St. Pius X prays and does penance for the pope, that he might have the strength …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Prayer is a key that opens the door to God, unlocks selfish, fearful hearts and leads people from sadness to joy and from division to unity, Pope Francis said on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Prayer is “the …

IMAGE: CNS illustration/Liz Agbey By Chaz Muth SAN DIEGO (CNS) — There is something distinctive about the chapel where Father William J. Brunner now celebrates Mass. It floats. To be more precise, it’s in a space aboard the U.S. Navy’s warship USS America docked in San Diego. The fresh-faced, 31-year-old …

IMAGE: CNS illustration/Liz Agbey By Chaz Muth WASHINGTON (CNS) — At first glance, it’s difficult to distinguish Father Lukasz J. Willenberg as a Catholic priest as he gathers with U.S. Army paratroopers preparing for a training jump at Pope Field near Fayetteville, North Carolina. Instead of wearing the traditional black …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Hackett, Reuters By Simon Caldwell MANCHESTER, England (CNS) — Catholic bishops condemned a sharp rise in xenophobic and racist attacks following Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said the “upsurge of racism, of hatred toward others is something we must not …

IMAGE: CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano, handout By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In his first public address in almost a year, retired Pope Benedict XVI expressed his sincere gratefulness to Pope Francis, saying that his goodness “from the first moment of your election, in every moment of my life …