We think that a return to the country at this time could unleash a bloodbath, said Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga.

In addition to giving Obama a copy of his latest encyclical, the pope also presented a copy of a recent Vatican document on biomedical ethics.

Catholic bishops from Spain's Basque region kept quiet about the killing of priests by right-wing forces during the Spanish Civil War.

Some U.S. bishops and Catholic university presidents are preparing for a dialogue aimed at reaching a consensus about speakers on their campuses.

A conference in New York took up a topic that has been much debated in recent years in arenas ranging from popular culture to papal addresses.

One of the biggest challenges is to make sure that the greater openness shown by Muslim leaders filters down to the average Muslim.