By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Do not turn to superstition or blame God in the aftermath of a deadly tragedy, the bishop of Rieti told people mourning the deaths of those killed by the devastating earthquake that struck central Italy. God is humanity’s salvation and he “cannot be …

By Maureen Smith Catholic News Service JACKSON, Miss. (CNS) — The deaths of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill demand justice, but not revenge, Franciscan Father Greg Plata said during a memorial Mass for the women religious in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. “I truly believe with …

IMAGE: CNS photo/David Maung By Brooke Binkowski TIJUANA, Mexico (CNS) — The men trudged down the dusty road of an impoverished Tijuana neighborhood. The Sunday morning air was already arid and hot, but the small group was on a mission: They were heading to a tiny neighborhood community center, bearing …

IMAGE: CNS/L’Osservatore Romano By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Continuing his dialogue with leaders in the world of social media and technology, Pope Francis met with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, met the pope Aug. 29 in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Ciro De Luca, Reuters By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis said he wants to visit survivors and those affected by a deadly earthquake in central Italy as soon as possible. He wants to go to the ravaged area to “bring you personally the solace of …

IMAGE: CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via EPA By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After a strong earthquake struck central Italy and with the early news reporting many deaths and serious damage, Pope Francis turned his weekly general audience Aug. 24 into a prayer service. While the pope and some 11,000 …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Jonathan Bachman, Reuters By Richard Meek BATON ROUGE, La. (CNS) — Water lapped at the heels of Father Michael Galea, steady rain an arduous reminder of Mother Nature’s unfinished business. With a sadness in his voice, Father Galea, pastor at Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant, estimated that …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Robert Duncan By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — Blessed Teresa of Kolkata was a woman who truly felt wed to Jesus, and the freedom she experienced in loving him led her to radical poverty, a courageous outreach and an immense love for the poor, said the superior general …

By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When nonviolence is the basic approach of political decisions and public policy, it promotes the restoration and consolidation of peace, the Vatican said. In his message for the Jan. 1 celebration of World Peace Day, Pope Francis will offer reflections on the …

By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Retired Pope Benedict XVI said in an interview that he felt a “duty” to resign from the papacy because of his declining health and the rigorous demands of papal travel. While his heart was set on completing the Year of Faith, the …