Jordan's powerful and marginalized joined together at the banks of the River Jordan to welcome Pope Francis at the site believed to be where Jesus was baptized.Jordan's King Abdullah II, his wife, Queen Rania, and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, the monarch's personal representative

A long line of cars trailed down the road next to the Church of the Nativity as Franciscan Father Ibrahim Faltas helped coordinate the placement of the electricity generator for the May 25 papal Mass."We are working night and day," he said calmly May 23, as he worked to quickly free up the

The work of "achieving peace" between the Israelis and Palestinians peace needs "your continued, determined engagement," U.S. Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders told Secretary of State John Kerry."We believe the time for Israeli-Palestinian peace is now," they said in

ROME (RNS) A United Nations panel blasted the Vatican for the second time this year for failing to respond adequately to the child sexual abuse scandals that have swept the Catholic Church, but stopped short of saying the Holy See had violated U.N. treaty obligations on torture.The report

U.S. Father Robert W. Oliver argues more must be done to address negligence.

One of the nation’s leading — and official — champions of religious freedom implored the Obama administration to add Pakistan and Syria to the list of nations that most egregiously violate religious rights.Before a congressional subcommittee on May 22 Robert P. George, chairman of