The U.S. Senate on June 16 approved a measure supported by Catholic and evangelical leaders that would prohibit the use of torture by any U.S. government agency as an interrogation technique. • The Philippine government on June 16 started the Catholic Church-backed process of decommissioning me

The Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land issued a strong condemnation against an early morning arson attack on the Benedictine Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee on June 18. The council, which is made up of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the Heads of the Local

Americans have less confidence in organized religion today than ever measured before—a sign that the church could be “losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation’s culture,” a new Gallup survey finds. In the mid-1970s, nearly seven in 10 Americans said th

Pope Francis accepted the resignations on June 15 of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piche of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. In a statement, Archbishop Nienstedt said he hopes his resignation might “give the archdiocese a new beginning amidst the many cha

Appealing to the entire world, Pope Francis urged everyone to read his upcoming encyclical on the care of creation and to better protect a damaged earth."This common 'home' is being ruined and that harms everyone, especially the poorest," he said June 17, the day before the Vatican

At St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington, Del., on June 6, President Obama delivered the eulogy for Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden. • Pope Francis sent “heartfelt condolences” to the citizens of Ghana after at least 150 people were killed in an explosion at a ga

The black market or informal economy threatens workers’ rights, security and protection worldwide, and more must be done to strengthen minimum wages, safety standards and maternity benefits, said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, who heads the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United

A Canadian government investigation used the term “cultural genocide” to describe the experience of aboriginal people, advising that reconciliation within the country “is going to take hard work.” Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission on June 2 called for changes

If there is any place in need of salvation at this moment, it is the Central American country named after Jesus Christ. Even as it prepared to mark one of the biggest events in its history—the beatification on May 23 of the slain Archbishop Oscar Romero—El Salvador, which in Spanish mean

A major independent survey reports that the best way to end global hunger may be to help small farmers, especially as they try to adapt to the changing climate. According to 98 Caritas organizations, the top three causes of food insecurity are lack of resources—land, seeds, loans, access to ma