Church Leaders Call for Peace in MideastPope Benedict XVI endorsed a declaration by the Group of 8 that criticized the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah for fueling an escalation in fighting and urged Israel to exercise restraint. "I find myself in full agreement with the G-8 communiqué,&quo

McCarrick Warns Against Partisanship in ChurchCardinal Theodore E. McCarrick sharply warned the U.S. bishops on June 15 that "the intense polarization and bitter battles of partisan politics may be seeping into [the] broader ecclesial life of our Catholic people and maybe even of our [bishops&r

Bishops Approve New Texts for Order of MassIn what Bishop Donald W. Trautman called a truly important moment in liturgy in the United States, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a new English translation of the Order of Mass and adopted several U.S. adaptations during a national meeting

U.S. Bishops to Vote on New Translation of MassThe U.S. bishops will be asked to approve a new translation of the Order of Mass when they meet in Los Angeles on June 15-17. If the new translation is adopted as proposed and subsequently approved by the Vatican, Catholics will have to learn a number o

Pope: Peace Entails Religious FreedomPeace and justice in the world require respect for religious freedom, solidarity and policies that look beyond economic gain and show respect for the environment, Pope Benedict XVI told five new ambassadors to the Vatican. Peace is rooted in respect for religious

U.S. Bishops Urge Immigration ReformPresident George W. Bush’s address on May 15 about immigration reform received mixed reviews from advocates for immigrants, who expressed gratitude for his support of legalization for illegal immigrants but had concerns about his plan to deploy National Guar

Catholic Leaders Urge Calm in East TimorCatholic Church leaders in East Timor have called for calm as troops continue to patrol the tense streets of Dili in the wake of a riot by hundreds of dismissed soldiers and about 1,000 of their supporters. Army protesters and their sympathizers took to the st

Peace Gathering Marks 20 Years Since AssisiThemes of prayer, peace, justice, love, dialogue and care for the poor intermingled as representatives of world religions gathered in Washington, D.C., on April 26 for the 2006 International Prayer for Peace. It marked the 20th anniversary of the first such

Archbishop Calls for More Spanish-Language RadioArchbishop Elden F. Curtiss of Omaha has encouraged his fellow U.S. bishops to develop Spanish-language Catholic radio stations as a way of reaching Hispanic Catholics. With the Hispanic population growing rapidly in the United States, many dioceses fa

New U.S. Ecumenical Group FoundedChristian Churches Together in the USAthe broadest, most inclusive ecumenical movement in U.S. historywas officially founded during a gathering near Atlanta, Ga., on March 28-31. Its founding 34 Christian churches and national organizations represent more than 100 mi