CNA/EWTN News Bishop Robert McElroy, the new head of the San Diego diocese, has criticized a proposal to remove the statue of pioneering California missionary and soon-to-be saint Father Junipero Serra from the U.S. Capitol.

CNA/EWTN News Cardinal Francis George, the Emeritus Archbishop of Chicago, passed away Friday, according to the Chicago Tribune. The 78-year-old cardinal was first diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2006 and underwent a five-hour surgery to remove his bladder and other parts of his body affected by cancer. In 2012, his …

CNA/EWTN News The hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted a year ago by the group Boko Haram deserve a major, sustained rescue effort, says a Nigerian lawyer who urges far more global attention for the wider crisis in the country. “Every day of captivity for these girls is a dark day …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The Vatican approved new statutes and bylaws for the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious, ending a seven-year process of investigating the group and engaging in dialogue with its officers to ensure greater harmony with church teaching.

By Matt Hadro CNA/EWTN News  The head of the U.S. Bishops‘ international peace committee supports the new framework for Iran’s nuclear program and is asking the U.S. Congress not to “undermine” the deal. “We welcome the most recent step the United States and its international partners have taken with Iran …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, Pope Francis said atrocities from the past have to be recognized — not hidden or denied — for true reconciliation and healing to come to the world.

CNA/EWTN News The numbers are in: almost 600 Catholic men will be ordained priests for the U.S. in 2015, an increase of more than 100 from last year. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, N.C. said April 7 that the increase in ordination numbers is “encouraging.” The bishop, who heads …

By Laura Ieraci Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Children are never a “mistake” and no sacrifice is too great for an adult to make so that children can feel their worth, Pope Francis said. During his weekly general audience in a chilly, but sunny St. Peter’s Square April 8, …

By Christopher S. Pineo & Gregory L. Tracy Catholic News Service BOSTON — As the trial of Boston Marathon bombing defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev went to the jury April 6, the Catholic bishops of Massachusetts released a statement reiterating the church’s teaching on the death penalty. The Catholic Church opposes the …