The religious order said approval of the pipeline violated the sisters' right to practice their faith under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and they asked that it be rerouted.

Without concerted and immediate efforts toward sustainable development, "There is a real danger that we will leave future generations only rubble, deserts and refuse," Pope Francis said on July 6.

Pope Francis said the challenge is “to find ways of ensuring the immense supply of energy required to meet the needs of all, while developing means of using natural resources that avoid creating environmental imbalances.”

In the immediate aftermath of the flood that washed through Main Street and other parts of historic Ellicott City May 27, St. Paul Church, perched on the hill above the floodwaters, was able to serve folks in little ways.

A new study from The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the actual number of people who died in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria is close to 5,000.

Catholic health care providers say when those places lack the resources to cope, climate change and mosquito-borne illnesses become issues of social justice.