IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Magi had the courage to set out on a journey in the hope of finding something new, unlike Herod who was full of himself and unwilling to change his ways, Pope Francis said. The Wise Men who set …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Magi had the courage to set out on a journey in the hope of finding something new, unlike Herod who was full of himself and unwilling to change his ways, Pope Francis said. The Wise Men who set …

By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Catholic Church has a “tremendous responsibility to bring people together in prayer and dialogue, to begin anew the vital work of fostering healing and lasting peace,” said a report by a U.S. bishops’ task force released Jan. 5 in the wake of last …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Bob Roller By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Mother’s Day came early this year at the Vatican. A number of feast days over the Advent and Christmas seasons gave Pope Francis a fresh opportunity to pay homage to the world’s mothers and insist further on how and …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Nabil Mounzer, EPA By Jonathan Luxmoore OXFORD, England (CNS) — A church leader in Turkey said Catholics are fearful about attending church after recent terrorist attacks, but insisted local Christians can count on government protection. “Although we can move around freely, people are understandably afraid of coming to …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World By Michelle Martin CHICAGO (CNS) — Shara Funches’ eyes scanned the rows of crosses set up on the sidewalk just north of the Chicago River on Michigan Avenue, a main thoroughfare through downtown. Funches was looking for the cross bearing the name of …

IMAGE: CNS/L’Osservatore Romano By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Along the difficult path of rebuilding their lives, survivors of the earthquake that devastated central Italy must also rebuild their hearts with a strong foundation built on hope, Pope Francis said. Families need something long lasting when coping with …

By Rhina Guidos WASHINGTON (CNS) — Sister Rita Petruziello said she could feel the “contention and nastiness” in the air during the presidential election campaign of the last year. Instead of getting better as the process went along, it kept getting worse. “It didn’t matter who won,” she told Catholic …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the depths of despair, when no words or gestures will help, then cry with those who suffer, because tears are the seeds of hope, Pope Francis said. When people are hurting, “it is necessary to share in …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — The religious makeup of the 115th Congress is significantly Christian — 91 percent — with Catholics comprising one-third of the House of Representatives and about a quarter of the Senate. Overall, there are six fewer Christians in the new …