IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Organizations, Catholic or not, led by a charismatic leader who is followed uncritically and commands or demands control over members are at risk for cases of physical, sexual and psychological abuse, said Jesuit Father …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Yves Herman, Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The use of artificial intelligence in science and medicine must be guided by ethical standards that place humanity and the pursuit of the common good first, Pope Francis said. "The ethical development of algorithms — ‘algor-ethics’ — …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Rosanna Aguilera, San Angelo Standard-Times via Reuters By Donis Tracy BOSTON (CNS) — The extra day we get approximately once every four years is a way to adapt the calendar year to the astronomical year. But did you know the present system of calculating the leap years was …

IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy of Gertrudejane Holliday Stone By Jo Ann Zuniga HOUSTON (CNS) — Gertrudejane Holliday Stone, a parishioner at St. Mary of the Purification Church in Houston, was a Freedom Rider even before the term was coined. In an interview during Black History Month, the octogenarian recalled when she …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Tom Tracy By Tom Tracy FREEPORT, Grand Bahama (CNS) — In response to the most damaging storm in the modern history of the Bahamas, a regional office of Caritas International has moved forward in its two-year commitment to promote housing refurbishment and mental wellness in the islands. Category …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Life Savers By Sydney Clark WASHINGTON (CNS) — As a new Lenten season begins, Father Jorge Obregon from Houston is encouraging young Latino Catholics to participate in a new spiritual campaign titled Life Savers. "I hope this can get to as many Spanish-speaking people starting in Spain and …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Confronting and not giving in to bitterness helps priests realize that they are not all-powerful beings but sinners who have been forgiven and called by God, Pope Francis said. Bitterness is "a subtle enemy" that hides and "robs …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis did not attend a traditional penitential service with priests of the Diocese of Rome due to a mild cold, the Vatican said. In a statement Feb. 27, Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves ROME (CNS) — Ashes not only symbolize humanity’s frail mortality but are also a reminder of God’s infinite love of people, whom he created from dust, Pope Francis said. While men and women are just "dust in the universe" compared to the …

By WASHINGTON (CNS) — By blocking two pro-life bills from going to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a vote, senators "failed to advance two critical human rights reforms that most Americans strongly support," the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee said late Feb. 25. Earlier that day, …