Catholic News Service

The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church welcomed the election of a leader for the country's new independent Orthodox church.

The death of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl "represents an egregious disregard for the safety and care of persons in the custody of U.S. officials," the National Council of Churches said.

The U.S. Conference of Catholics Bishops announced Dec. 18 the annual "9 Days for Life" prayer and action campaign will run Jan. 14 to Jan. 22.

While St. Joseph was a practical, down-to-earth man, he had enough faith to be open to God speaking through dreams, Pope Francis said at morning Mass.

Pope Francis made new appointments to the Dicastery for Communication, naming Andrea Tornielli as its "editorial director" and Andrea Monda as editor-in-chief of the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.

The world urgently needs peacemakers and politicians who protect and lovingly serve others, Pope Francis said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace.

Before traveling to Rome for a major Vatican summit on the clerical sex abuse crisis and child protection, each participating bishop should meet with survivors of abuse, said the committee organizing the meeting.

Survivors of sexual abuse by clergy, lay employees or lay volunteers in the Diocese of Erie will be eligible to file financial claims with a new compensation fund.

As part of its ongoing efforts to reconcile China's Catholic communities, the Vatican recognized two previously excommunicated Chinese bishops as heads of dioceses.

Catholic participants and observers criticized a "lack of ambition" by government negotiators at a U.N. conference on climate change that ended Dec. 15 with agreement on a rulebook to implement the 2015 Paris climate accord.

With Christmas just over a week away, visitors came to St. Peter's Square with their Baby Jesus figurines for a traditional blessing by the pope.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis said Dec. 14 that until "all open allegations are resolved," his predecessor, Archbishop John Nienstedt, is not free to exercise public ministry in the archdiocese.

The farm bill that passed both houses of Congress by wide margins doesn't have money in it to protect endangered species, but it did preserve one that had been on the threatened list: bipartisanship.

As the celebration of Christmas draws near, the plight of the Holy Family calls to mind the sufferings of the many men, women and children escaping war and persecution, Pope Francis said.

"My brother was murdered by a drive-by shooting at the age of 18 years old," says a young man from Chicago whose emotion-stained voice plays in a video.

An English cardinal has told an inquiry into child abuse of his shock at learning that a vicar general of his former archdiocese tried to help two pedophile priests escape to the United States.

For more than 38 years, Capuchin Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa has preached to the pope and top officials of the Roman Curia. In early January, he will lead the weeklong retreat of the U.S. bishops.

Pope Francis will make a three-day visit to Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in May, the Vatican announced.

Since Cardinal Joseph Bernardin introduced the "seamless garment" approach to life issues 35 years ago, the notion has been both divisive and formative for the church, according to speakers at a Dec. 11 panel in New York.

The Field Hospital: Xavier Society for the Blind explores technological advances to enhance religious education and other materials for vision-impaired Catholics.