Catholic News Service

The Catholic Church's opposition to the death penalty stems from its view on the sacredness of human life and the value of mercy, said U.S. bishops in a roundtable discussion about capital punishment Oct. 10.

Ecuadorian observers at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon are keeping an eye on massive protests that have claimed the lives of five people in their country.

Christians concerned with religious freedom violations resulting from the Turkish military offensive on northeastern Syria are urging U.S. President Donald Trump to "reconsider and reverse" his Oct. 6 decision to move American troops out of the way of a Turkish incursion.

Pope Francis named a U.S. archbishop serving as a nuncio to head the Vatican diplomatic academy.

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill released new details Oct. 9 about the discovery of additional fetal remains in Illinois that are believed to be linked with abortions performed in Indiana.

Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Edmund J. Whalen, vicar for clergy for the Archdiocese of New York, and Msgr. Gerardo J. Colacicco, a parish pastor in Millbrook, New York, as auxiliary bishops for the New York Archdiocese.

Lay men and women involved in ministry have been fundamental in spreading the Gospel and furthering the Catholic Church's mission in the Amazon, a Brazilian bishop said.

The Diocese of Brownsville and a group on interfaith leaders in the Rio Grande Valley have introduced a "parish identification strategy" to provided members of parishes in the diocese a way to identify themselves to local law enforcement regardless of their legal status.

By demanding respect for the cultures of indigenous peoples, Pope Francis was not promoting pantheism, but — tapping into his Jesuit roots — urging respect for a worldview that sees God in all things.

Brazilian Cardinal Serafim Fernandes de Araujo, retired archbishop of Belo Horizonte, died Oct. 8 in Brazil at the age of 95.

On the second day of the Supreme Court's new term, a divided court Oct. 8 heard oral arguments from three cases concerning protections for gay, lesbian and transgender employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts.

The U.S. bishops are scheduled to elect the next president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at their upcoming fall general assembly taking place Nov. 11-13 in Baltimore.

Synod members called for the Catholic Church to deepen its theology in a way that would help people recognize "ecological sins."

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, said the people who portray him as an opponent of Pope Francis are being used by the devil to help divide the church.

When Catholics attack other members of the church, they are hurting Christ, Pope Francis said.

The chairmen of three U.S. bishops' committees have urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to redefine "sex" in civil rights law, arguing this would change the definition of "a fundamental element of humanity that is the basis of the family and would threaten religious liberty."

Mack McCarter, who has spent a lifetime helping hurting communities by building "a system of caring relationships," starting in his hometown of Shreveport, is the winner of Catholic Extension's 2019-2020 Lumen Christi Award.

Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Austin A. Vetter, a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, to be the bishop of the Diocese of Helena, Montana.

Too many Christians today are "as long as" Christians, obeying God "as long as" God and the church meet their conditions and criteria for what is acceptable, just and righteous, Pope Francis said.

Climate change, water resources, inculturation and indigenous practices were among the topics discussed during the first afternoon session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.