Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, thus paving the way for her canonization on Dec. 17. The postulator for her sainthood cause, the Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk of the Missionaries of Charity, said the second miracle that was approved involved

Richard J. Curry, S.J., professor of Catholic studies and theater at Georgetown University and founder of Dog Tag Bakery and the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped, passed away on Dec. 19 at the age of 72. • The Christmas spirit this year in Bethlehem—and the 2015 Christmas tour

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota announced a landmark civil settlement with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul-Minneapolis related to a civil case that alleged grave breakdowns in the archdiocese’s child protection policies. According to County Attorney John Choi, the primary

Catholics involved in the reconciliation process over the Indian residential school system in Canada say continued understanding requires action. “It isn’t by making laws you are going to overcome racism,” said Archbishop Gerard Pettipas, president of 50 Catholic Entities, the lega

Catholic leaders in the Central African Republic said Christian-Muslim ties were positively affected by Pope Francis during his visit on Nov. 29-30, 2015. “No guns or grenades sounded during the visit—and while some unfortunate incidents occurred afterward, there was no resort to open vi

Pope Francis called for abolishing the death penalty worldwide, lifting the burden of debt on poor nations, global aid policies that respect life and revamped laws that welcome and integrate migrants.He urged individuals, communities and nations to not let indifference, information overload or pessi

Police from Italy and Kosovo announced on Dec. 1 that they had detained four Kosovars believed to be terrorist risks who had made threats on social media against Pope Francis. • Speaking at the U.N. climate conference in Paris on Dec. 4, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said, &ldquo

The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Dec. 4 that it will review a lower court decision blocking Puerto Rico from restructuring portions of its debt. Puerto Rico’s lawyers had urged the court to take immediate action in light of the overall magnitude of the commonwealth’s debts, aroun

When Pope Francis planned the Year of Mercy and the opening of the Holy Door, he did not mean to give the starting signal for a frenzied wave of pilgrims to Rome. More than a call to sign up for an Eternal City package tour, the pope is inviting people to strike out on a yearlong spiritual journey t

Negotiators in Paris from 195 countries agreed on Dec. 5 on a blueprint deal aimed at reducing global carbon emissions and limiting global warming. Participants at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change were poised the following week for final discussion and approval of the agreem