Catholic News Service

The president of the U.S. bishops' conference welcomed Pope Francis' pledge to fight attempts to cover up cases of sexual abuse and to stop offering special treatment to bishops who have committed or covered up abuse.

A federal judge's Oct. 3 preliminary injunction blocking cancellation of Temporary Protected Status for people from four countries living in the United States is a welcome step, said the executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

The Catholic Church needs to communicate the beauty and intelligence of faith to young men and women without resorting to condescending and aggressive methods, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles told members of the Synod of Bishops.

In response to the church abuse crisis, many parishes around the country have been bringing out the big guns in a spiritual sense — calling on St. Michael the Archangel to help the church.

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia told members of the Synod of Bishops their task was to help young people understand Catholic teaching on sexuality and to avoid using terms like "LGBTQ" that make it seem as if the church categorizes people that way.

Australian Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney used his speech at the Synod of Bishops to formally apologize to young people for all the ways the Catholic Church and its members have harmed them or let them down.

A Georgetown University associate professor's tweets that white Republican men should die a "miserable death" for supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination for the Supreme Court is more than just about free speech, said the head of Students for Life of America.

Marist Br. Henry Sammon recently resigned from his position as associate director at the National Religious Retirement Office at the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference in Washington while his province investigates an allegation of sexual misconduct from the early 1970s.

At a court hearing to answer to allegations of covering up sexual abuse by members of the clergy, Chilean Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati invoked his right against self-incrimination.

In the coming weeks and months, spiritual and physical support will be offered to those in need thanks to a man who as a child was abused by a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse.

Catholic aid agencies were among those working to assess the needs and get relief to the island of Sulawesi after an earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,400 people dead.

Respect Life Month calls Catholics "to cherish, defend and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between," said New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops requested Oct. 2 that U.S. dioceses take up an emergency collection to help those devastated by Hurricane Florence and other natural disasters.

With Pope Francis midway into the sixth year of his pontificate, the percentage of U.S. Catholics who view him favorably, while still strong, is noticeably down.

Those attending the 66th annual Red Mass in Washington Sept. 30 paused from news coverage of the Supreme Court vacancy, and instead prayerfully sought God's blessing on all those involved in government positions, the law profession and the administration of justice.

Christians have guardian angels to encourage and guide them so they won't become sluggish on their journey in life, Pope Francis said.

In "this time of turmoil," Pope Francis spent more than two hours with the bishops of England and Wales, encouraging them in turn to spend more time with their priests and faithful, the bishops said in a statement about their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican.

California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a measure Sept. 30 that would have extended the state's statute of limitations for decades for childhood sexual abuse survivors.

Some students, alumni and faculty members at The Catholic University of America in Washington are calling for the resignation of dean Will Rainford following a series of tweets he wrote criticizing Brett Kavanaugh's accusers.