Pope Francis prayed that Jesus would "bring his smile, through our poor faces, to all the children of the world: to those who are abandoned and those who suffer violence.

This year marks an opportunity for Canadian Protestants to remember a time when they were deeply embedded in the labor movement. It also marks a labor anniversary important for Catholics in Canada. In 1949, miners walked off the job in dangerous asbestos mines in Quebec.

"In reality, Congress has been slow to pass legislation," said Anthony Granado, vice president for public policy for Catholic Charities USA.

Parochial schools in the city are not immune to the homeless crisis, Michael J. Deegan, the superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York, confirmed. “We do have some families that are homeless, and in partnering with Catholic Charities of New York, we work with the families in trying to find accommodations for them.”

The increasing number of fatal acts of police are among the emerging concerns addressed by the Pastoral of Favelas, an archdiocesan commission created 42 years ago to respond to the needs of Rio’s slum dwellers.

It had been unclear whether Israel would grant permits to members of Gaza's tiny Christian community to leave the Hamas-ruled coastal territory.