By Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ 2014-15 Christmas season celebrations will include exactly what he did a year earlier. Releasing the pope’s schedule Dec. 10, the Vatican said he would: — Celebrate Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 24.

By Mary Rezac CNA/EWTN News  DENVER, Colo. — The Little Sisters of the Poor asked an appeals court Monday to shield them from the federal contraception mandate, saying that it threatens their 175 years of service to the poor and dying. “As Little Sisters of the Poor, we offer the …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church must consider various ways to integrate the divorced and civilly remarried in the life of the church — not merely allowing them to receive Communion, but letting them serve as eucharistic ministers and …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — The final report of a five-year, Vatican-ordered study of communities of women religious in the United States will be released by the Vatican Dec. 16. The top two officials of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — During the Year of Consecrated Life, all Catholics are called to thank God for the gifts members of religious orders have given the church and the world, to join them in prayer and find practical ways to support them and their ministries, Pope …

By Dave Luecking Catholic News Service ST. LOUIS — The destruction throughout Ferguson left Blessed Teresa of Calcutta parishioner and former mayor Brian Fletcher speechless. “My heart is broken,” he wrote in an email. “Words can’t describe the near destruction of our beloved city of Ferguson.” Hours after the Nov. …

By Tom Tracy Catholic News Service  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — After watching firsthand as Pope Francis bowed his head for a blessing from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during the pope’s Nov. 28-30 trip to Turkey, an American-born Orthodox priest felt a joyful disbelief. “I couldn’t sleep that night,” said …

By Catholic News Service  CHICAGO — Less than a week after he was installed in his new position, Chicago Archbishop Blase J. Cupich had a brief private meeting with President Barack Obama when the president visited the city to promote his executive actions on immigration. 

By Catholic News Service  WASHINGTON — Retired Archbishop Joseph T. Dimino, who headed the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services for six years, died Nov. 25 in Washington. He was 91. The native of New York, who was ordained for the Archdiocese of New York in 1949, served in the …

By Matt Hadro CNA/EWTN News  FERGUSON, MO. — The Archbishop of St. Louis rejected violent responses to a grand jury’s decision not to indict a Ferguson police officer who killed a teenager, asking instead for prayer and action to solve underlying community problems. “Since the grand jury received the case …