A Ukrainian Catholic priest in Crimea said church members are alarmed and frightened by the Russian military occupation and fear their communities might be outlawed again if Russian rule becomes permanent. The Rev. Mykhailo Milchakovskyi, a pastor in Kerch, Ukraine, described the atmosphere as tense

As the devastating conflict in Syria began its fourth year on March 15, the Catholic bishops of Syria called for a cease-fire and for combatants to return to negotiations in Geneva to end the suffering in the war-torn country. The bishops encouraged the faithful during Lent, to “fast and show

As the first anniversary of the election of Pope Francis approached in mid-March, the Pew Research Religion and Public Life Project noted the pope’s overwhelming popularity but reported it could not tease out a discernible “Francis effect” in the behavior of American Catholics. Pew

A growing interest in the tradition of Lent is giving Protestants something more in common with Catholics. Though slightly different in practice, some call this a step toward convergence in the global church. Christopher Ruddy, an associate professor at The Catholic University of America who is an e

The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration will travel to Nogales, Ariz., from March 30 to April 1 to tour the U.S.-Mexico border and celebrate Mass to remember 6,000 migrants who have died in the U.S. desert since 1998. • Vatican medical experts reported on March 6 that there is no natural

Pope Francis has done it again, generating a global media frenzy with just a few words that referred to the church and its relationship with gay and lesbian people. In a recorded interview with Italian media published on March 5, Pope Francis said that while the church believes “matrimony is b