IMAGE: CNS photo/Catholic Review By WASHINGTON (CNS) — Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore sharply criticized comments made by Martin Castro, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, that the phrases “religious liberty” and “religious freedom” were “code words” used to discriminate. “Statements painting those who support religious freedom …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Karen Callaway/Catholic New World By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — In grappling with the issue of Islamophobia, a Georgetown University research group conducted an examination of conscience of sorts by looking at Catholic perceptions of Islam and how these views may have been influenced by Catholic news outlets …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY  — Pope Francis thanked a group of bishops in Argentina for providing their priests with concrete guidelines for implementing the section of his apostolic exhortation on the family about circumstances in which divorced and civilly remarried couples might eventually be allowed to …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Mary Seamans, The Catholic Accent By Elizabeth Fazzini SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (CNS) — Fifteen years after United Flight 93 crashed in an open field in southern Pennsylvania, a small group of Catholics quietly gathered in the stillness of the site to remember the people who sacrificed their lives …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Ian Langsdon, EPA By Mariana Karapinka PARIS (CNS) — On Sundays, the Saint-Germain-des-Pres quarter of Paris — known for its artistic cafes, expensive boutiques and numerous bookstores — is filled with people in embroidered shirts who speak Ukrainian. Since 1943, the Ukrainian Catholic community has prayed at the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Dianne Towalski, The Visitor By Dianne Towalski ALBANY, Minn. (CNS) — Agnes Imdieke awakened the morning of Sept. 3 in her apartment on the outskirts of Albany and got ready for the day. As she did every day, she lit a candle and said a prayer for the …

IMAGE: CNS/L’Osservatore Romano By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a brief outdoor ceremony, Pope Francis administered the sacrament of confirmation to 16-year-old Giuseppe Chiolo, who had come to the Vatican by ambulance from Florence. Chiolo, who is being treated in the oncology ward of a Florence hospital, had …

IMAGE: CNS/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Members of the pope’s commission for child protection, including an abuse survivor, have been speaking with new bishops and major Vatican offices as part of a mandate to develop and educate the church about best practices. Pope …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn By Allana Haynes WASHINGTON (CNS) — Colette Kalvesmaki is trained in the ancient art of iconography, combining her knowledge of theology and her love of art to pass down stories of inspiration to future generations. Growing up in a small town in a nonreligious family, she …

IMAGE: CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As he prays in his house in the Vatican Gardens and, especially, as he ages, retired Pope Benedict XVI said he finds many Scripture passages “more challenging in their greatness and gravity.” Retirement has given the 89-year-old Pope Benedict …