"I'm going to Mexico not as a wise man bearing things, messages, ideas or solutions to problems...But I will seek the wealth of faith that you have; I want to come in contact with that wealth of faith."

The German church's special representative for refugees said he believed a cap would violate the Geneva Convention and Germany's Basic Law. "Christians cannot allow people who've faced untold suffering and are needing help to encounter closed borders," Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg said.

"Archbishop Nienstedt has a deep concern for the church, and in light of the unintended discord that his presence was causing, he decided that this would be the best course of action so the church can remain focused on its mission."

For the hundreds of South Sudanese refugee children settled into a Ugandan camp, learning how to react without violence is as much a part of their schoolwork as academic pursuits.The refugee families, who have fled two years of ethnic fighting in newly independent South Sudan, value the material the

Because of a predicted snowstorm in Washington, the St. Louis archdiocesan Catholic Youth Apostolate canceled its Generation Life pilgrimage to the March for Life.About 2,200 teens, adult chaperones, volunteers and staff were expected to participate in the 43rd annual march Jan. 22.The youth apostol

At a Jesuit-sponsored Mass, students heard that "Our efforts are to be able to create the same amount of space for people to change their hearts."

"In spite of the borders and boundaries that exist, we see ourselves as one great Catholic community, and we are immensely grateful and honored that our universal pastor, Pope Francis, has chosen to come to our area," Bishop Seitz said in a Jan. 18 statement. "We celebrate this great day for our brothers and sisters in Juarez."