Pope Francis has reformed the ceremony of the washing of the feet during Mass on Holy Thursday by decreeing that henceforth it will be open to women too or, as he put it in a year-old decree that was published on Jan. 21, “to all the members of the People of God.” The relevant part of th

A record snowfall that blanketed Washington and much of the East Coast prevented many from making it to Washington for the annual March for Life on Jan. 23. The snow also caused the cancellation of many of the events scheduled to mark the 43rd anniversary of the Roe decision that legalized abortion.

Pope Francis is increasingly turning his attention to the stars of Silicon Valley, meeting Apple’s C.E.O., Tim Cook, for a 15-minute conversation on Jan. 22 just days after shaking hands with Eric Schmidt from Google. • Israel’s appropriation of 380 acres of Palestinian agricultural

In Flint, Mich., jobs have been scarce for years, but crime and foreclosures have been on the rise. Domestic violence and depression are household scourges, and a steady population decline has made the running of the city and even its long-term viability increasingly tenuous. As if these and many mo

Use the power of communication to build bridges and heal wounds, not generate hatred or misunderstanding, Pope Francis said in his message for World Communications Day on Jan. 22. The Catholic Church must proclaim the truth and denounce injustice without alienating everyone in need of God’s he

Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, N.M., urged Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Advisor Susan Rice to take renewed action to build on steps toward peace in the Middle East in separate letters on Jan 20. Bishop Cantú, who chairs the Committee on International Justice and Peace of