"The problem that we have today, not only in society but also in the church, is that we've become too polarized," Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-born prelate who was bishop of Dallas before taking over a Vatican department on family life earlier this year, told America.

In Chicago, 17 people were lost to gun violence in a single weekend.

The Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference, which includes the bishops of Sudan and South Sudan, said in a statement released on Nov. 8 that "there is nothing more needed than forgiveness"; to heal the divisions both countries have experienced over decades of conflict.

In this year's election, voters went against nearly all of the ballot initiatives backed by Catholic leaders and advocates, except referendums on minimum wage increases and gun control measures in four states.

Cardinal-designate Cupich urged U.S. bishops to “speak in a pastoral way to calm the fears of people and let them know that we are advocates for them,"

The day before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, Pope Francis said he would make no judgments about the candidate and was interested only in the impact his policies would have on the poor.