I met briefly with Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough Wednesday at the closing of the symposium ldquo International Religious Freedom An Imperative for Peace and the Common Good rdquo sponsored jointly by The Institute for Policy Research amp Catholic Studies the United States

It is sadly ironic that the horrible news out of Libya where the ambassador and three consular employees were killed after mob violence engulfed the U S consulate in Benghazi comes this morning as I travel to Washington for two days of conferences on the contemporary challenges to international r

The United Nations reports that more than 100 000 refugees escaped into neighboring states in August as violence in Syria escalated dramatically the highest monthly total since the beginning of the Syrian crisis U N officials were scrambling to respond to the health and nutrition needs of more th

American-born Rabbi Dov Lipman came bearing flowers and a message of peace but he left the Abbey of Latroun with rolled up sleeves and eau de turpentine after he felt moved to personally respond to anti-Christian graffitti that had been spray-painted on the walls of monastery on the occupied West B

The Archdiocese of N Y has issued a statement condemning the comments of Franciscan Father Benedict Groeschel If you missed his observations in an interview with the National Catholic Register that s no surprise The entire interview was scrubbed last night ftom NCR s website after Father Groesche

Cardinal Dolan s decision to help close the G O P convention assuming Hurrican Isaac doesn t beat him to it has been the source of some controversy You may have heard Anyways this is naturally not the first time that a prominent Catholic has stepped into the U S political fray during a hotl

The selection of Catholic Paul Ryan as running mate to Mormon Mitt Romney has done more than create the G O P rsquo s first non-Protestant presidential ticket it has dramatically altered the Romney campaign rsquo s cautious course and highlighted the importance of the Catholic vote to Romney strat

The State Department issued its annual report on religious freedom on July 30 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered a ldquo sobering rdquo global depiction of fundamental human right at risk ldquo More than a billion people live under governments that systematically suppress religious free

Msgr William J Lynn of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was sentenced to 3 to 6 years in state prison today for child endangerment by a judge who said he turned a blind eye while monsters in clerical garb sexually abused children and devastated the church and community You knew full well what w

Fides the Vatican news agency has a report from inside Damscus from the Maronite Archbishop Samir Nassar The news is distressing to say the least One lives an apocalypse in Damascus and we hope with all our heart mind and strength that resurrection may soon arrive is the message sent to Fi