Among the main concerns they mentioned were the role of the laity, especially of women; the contribution of the church on ecology in light of the encyclical “Laudato Si’”; and “spiritual conversation,” a method of discernment that was adopted to structure discussions during the first assembly that could become a major legacy of the synod.

Pope Francis deplored “the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood” and called on the international community “to prohibit this practice universally.”

A multiyear Vatican investigation into Archbishop John Nienstedt found he acted ‘imprudently’ but not criminally under canon law.

Pope Francis has continued to push for changes in the church, braving daunting opposition and several medical scares.

One must never dialogue, brothers and sisters, with the devil. Never!

The corporal works of mercy have long guided Christians in helping those suffering from poverty and oppression. Politics can also be a holy activity if we pursue certain works of mercy.

I don’t imagine sheep making funny faces while being too shy to “baa” on that very first Christmas, but it’s the imperfections in our retelling of the very human story of Christ’s birth that make our play so perfect.

There’s another life in Gaza than this horror. There are civilians with hopes and dreams. There are people who believe in peace and who just want to live peacefully.

Was there ever a scholar of more varied interests and fields of expertise than C. J. McNaspy, S.J.?

The Slovenian Archdiocese of Ljubljana announced that the Vatican had ordered the Sisters of the Community of Loyola to be dissolved within one year.