"The summons to disobedience has not only left many Catholics shaking their heads, but has also triggered alarm and sadness," the Austrian bishops said.

New research indicates that frequent churchgoers face the future with more optimism and greater social support than other people.

The high incidence of rape in Congo is destroying the nation’s society, said Sister Marie-Bernard Alima.

A lengthy report opening the U.S. bishops' annual fall meeting painted a dour picture of the state of religious liberty in the United States.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi focused on the responsibility to protect civilian populations from harmful weapons in an address on Nov. 14.

The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, said that the funding at issue supports the most basic aid for poor people abroad.

The brutal crackdown on dissent in Syria continues unabated despite the signing of an Arab League peace plan on Nov. 2.

After being denied in June, federal funding for the AmeriCorps Education Awards disbursed through the Catholic Volunteer Network has been restored to 75 percent of its 2010 funding.

Even if Iran has been pursuing nuclear capability, a military response meant would lead only to more instability, says Notre Dame's Gerald Powers.

A mob led by government officials attacked a convent and church in early November.