By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — The upcoming movie “Son of God” should be seen as “a love story,” according to two of its executive producers, the husband-and-wife team of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — If you haven’t been to confession recently, don’t wait, Pope Francis told people at his weekly general audience. One may walk into the confessional with a heavy heart, but forgiveness brings freedom and lightness. “If a lot of time has passed, don’t lose even …

By John Mulderig Catholic News Service NEW YORK — For much of 2013, Hollywood seemed to be in the doldrums, turning out a good deal of product, but very little of quality. With the approach of year’s end, and the looming awards season, however, things improved remarkably. So much so, …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — In retirement, Pope Benedict XVI follows a daily schedule similar to that of any retired bishop or religious: He prays, reads, strolls, talks with people and offers them spiritual advice, the Vatican spokesman said. Although he “lives in a low-key way, …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child continued to insist that the Vatican compile and publish detailed statistics on clerical sexual abuse of minors and that the pope, as head of the church, can and should order Catholic dioceses …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Courageously follow Jesus in seeking out the poor and sinners, and in making difficult sacrifices in order to help and heal others, Pope Francis said. Christians are called to confront the material, spiritual and moral destitution of “our brothers and sisters, …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Catholic universities must give “uncompromising” and “unambiguous” witness to church teaching and defend themselves from all efforts to dilute their Catholic identity, Pope Francis said.

  Many men shun self-help books. In the same way that we don’t like to stop and ask for directions, all the more we don’t like to admit when we need help in a spiritual sense. That notion delayed my reading and reviewing of David N. Calvillo’s Real Men Pray …

By Francis Njuguna Catholic News Service NAIROBI, Kenya — While many Somali refugees wish to return home, just a small number have been able to do so because of ongoing violence in parts of their homeland, said Bishop Giorgio Bertin of Djibouti, apostolic administrator of Somalia’s only Catholic diocese, Mogadishu.

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Thieves reportedly stole a relic of Blessed John Paul II from a country chapel 85 miles east of Rome. Italian media reported Jan. 27 that the relic, a piece of fabric soaked in Blessed John Paul’s blood, had disappeared over …