Catholic News Service

Church leaders in Congo expressed shock after security forces fired on Catholic protesters, leaving at least eight dead and 120 people detained.

In his ministry and in his travels, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said he is reminded of the true meaning of hope by people living in situations the world would see as hopeless.

Foreign trips, a focus on the rights and needs of migrants and refugees and a Synod of Bishops dedicated to young people all are on the 2018 calendar for Pope Francis.

The political ads that aired in the Washington metro region in the fall of 2017 made many stop in their tracks. 

While efforts by congressional Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act over the first half of 2017 dominated the headlines on the health care stage, there were other issues that also merited attention.

In an increasingly complex world of unprecedented scientific and technological challenges, theologians must communicate what is essential about life and help Christians proclaim God's merciful, saving grace, Pope Francis told a group of Italian theologians.

The wave of accusations of sexual harassment, misconduct and assault from Hollywood to Capitol Hill and many places in between in recent months has been described as a revolution, a moment and a time for national reckoning.

While much of the focus has been on the Supreme Court, state legislatures, governors and juries in the ongoing fight to abolish capital punishment in the United States, the head of the Death Penalty Information Center suggested that counties may be key.

The Vatican's Fides agency said 23 people working for the church worldwide died violent deaths in 2017, the majority victims of attempted robberies.

In Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, California and Mexico City, recovery was slow and deep pain remained from a string of natural disasters as 2017 ended.

The ratcheting up of North Korea's missile testing and fears about its quest to launch a nuclear weapon have gotten the attention of leaders worldwide, including Pope Francis.

Retired Bishop William Curlin, who served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte from 1994 until his retirement in 2002, died of cancer Dec. 23 at Carolinas Medical Center.

Catholic patriarchs of the Middle East — with hope, despite uncertainty in the region — called for peace, security, prayer and solidarity at Christmastime.

Only when Christ is the focus of the Christmas season do all the colorful lights, carols, special meals and traditions help create a festive and joyous atmosphere, Pope Francis said.

The chairman of the U.S. bishops' migration committee and the heads of four Catholic agencies have urged the administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador.

Blessed Paul VI could be declared a saint in 2018, perhaps during the Synod of Bishops, according to the newspaper of his home diocese.

Callista Gingrich presented her letters of credential to Pope Francis, formally assuming her duties as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned as archbishop of Boston when it became clear he had knowingly transferred priests accused of sexually abusing children, made mistakes as all people do, Cardinal Angelo Sodano said at his funeral.

Christians have good reason to be joyful and should let it shine in their faces rather than sport sad, pessimistic looks, Pope Francis said.

Republican lawmakers cheered passage of an overhaul of the federal tax system even as Bishop Frank Dewane expressed concerns about its effect on low income families.