Fund envisioned to encourage Christians to remain in beleaguered Lebanon
ZAHLÉ, Lebanon (CNS) -- Christian advocates in Lebanon are urging that a special fund be established to reverse the hemorrhaging of Christians from their crisis-stricken nation. Such a fund, the advocates contend, would help support [...]
Polish nuns killed by Soviet army as World War II ended showed courage
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Ten Polish nuns have been approved for beatification as martyrs 76 years after they were killed while resisting rape and facing other atrocities by Soviet soldiers in the final months of [...]
Indian Jesuits brace for fallout after U.S. military leaves Afghanistan
BHOPAL, India (CNS) -- Indian Jesuits in Afghanistan are not sure what is in store for them as the strife-torn nation slips into conflict as the United States winds down operations after almost 20 years [...]
UPDATE: To church’s dismay, Veracruz state approves bill decriminalizing abortion
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Lawmakers in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz approved a bill decriminalizing abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It was the second such decriminalization measure approved in Mexico in [...]
Bishops plea for peace, fair elections ahead of Zambia’s August vote
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) -- With violence rising and a government crackdown against dissidents continuing, Zambia's Catholic bishops have called for peaceful and fair elections as voters prepare to go to the polls Aug. 12. Expressing [...]
Vatican publishes schedule for papal trip to Hungary, Slovakia
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' September trip to Hungary and Slovakia features a jam-packed schedule that shows he has no intention of slowing down despite his recent recovery from colon surgery. The Vatican July [...]
UPDATE: Pope offers his solidarity in letter to cartel-afflicted Mexican diocese
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis sent a letter of encouragement to residents of a Mexican diocese afflicted by battling drug cartels, a conflict that has cast attention on the lawlessness covering wide swaths of [...]
EU bishops’ commission urges action to protect religious freedom
BRUSSELS (CNS) -- European bishops called on the European Union to do more to protect religious freedom in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of efforts to strengthen the bloc's role as a [...]
German churches pray, provide aid as European flooding death toll climbs
BONN, Germany (CNS) -- German Catholic churches offered spiritual and financial support to survivors of devastating flooding in two regions of the country. At Masses July 18, bishops, priests and parishioners prayed for those who [...]
Cardinal implores saint’s intercession to overcome Lebanon’s crisis
BEIRUT (CNS) -- Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite patriarch, pleaded for the intercession of Lebanon's beloved St. Charbel Makhlouf as the beleaguered country spirals deeper into collapse, further roiled by the resignation of the prime [...]
Catholic Anti-Slavery Network in Australia becomes model for business
SYDNEY (CNS) -- When Australia's national customs and border law enforcement agency uploaded a Catholic document to a federal government registry monitoring modern-day slavery at the end of June, it was a significant development in [...]
Pope expresses closeness with Cuban people as unrest continues
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Cuba a week after protests erupted on the island nation. In his first public appearance after his release from Gemelli hospital, the [...]