OSV News

A bill to ban the use of capital punishment by the federal government was reintroduced in Congress, where it faces steep odds for passage.

In an interview days after his appointment as one of 21 new cardinals of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Vatican's ambassador to the U.S., said Pope Francis "is really filled with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council." Said Pierre: "He wants to help the church with the reception of the council, which is very important."

The Food and Drug Administration announced July 13 it had approved the sale of a birth control pill without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a move that will increase the availability of oral contraception and impact ongoing debates about abortion policy.

Cardinal-designate Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed the need to respect and protect the life and dignity of Palestinians during a July 10 visit to Jenin, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the city July 5.

A 22-year-old Washington man has been arrested for the July 5 shooting and killing on the campus of The Catholic University of America of a Kentucky man visiting the nation's capital.

As flood waters rose throughout Vermont during the July 10 torrential rains, at least one Catholic parish opened its facilities for people who needed a place to wait out the flooding and make post-flood plans.

Torrential rains brought up to 9 inches of rain to the Green Mountain State July 10, leaving Vermont highways closed, roads eroded and homes and businesses flooded. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Vermont July 11.

After a 5-4 Supreme Court decision struck a blow to the Navajo Nation's request for federal assistance in securing water for the reservation June 22, Catholics who minister among Native Americans shared their thoughts on the historic water crisis facing the Southwest U.S. and the Indigenous populations who live there.

The U.S. bishops July 10 praised a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that it would expand family reunification processes for some migrants.

Gardening helps Vermont's Fr. Benny Chittilappilly, a Vocationist priest from southern India, better understand his parishioners who farm and garden and sometimes struggle with the weather. Gardening also helps him better understand the parables of Jesus, who often used examples from nature to make a point.

Violence and conflict leave people's homes uninhabitable and force them to flee, said experts while discussing the root causes of migration.

Catholics in Lithuania have urged their bishops to follow other countries’ example in setting up an inquiry on sexual abuse in the church in the wake of scandals that shocked the Catholic community.

The apparent murder of a beloved, young high school teacher July 5 on the campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington was "not a random incident" and poses "no present danger" to the university community, according to police and university officials.

An apparent murder on the campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington was "not a random incident," and poses "no present danger" to the university community, according to police and university officials.

Following a July 2 mass shooting in which two people were killed and another 28 injured at a block party in South Baltimore, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori asked for prayers for the victims and the city.

In a move timed to coincide with holiday tourism, hotel workers in Southern California walked off the job July 2, asking for higher wages, affordable health care, a retirement pension, and manageable workloads.

On June 30, Texas judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Carmelite nuns against Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson. That same day, police announced they had closed their investigation without recommending criminal charges.

The Supreme Court on June 29 struck down race-conscious admissions programs at two prominent U.S. universities, in a landmark decision overturning previous precedent supported by many Catholic universities and colleges.

Cyclone Yaku's path through Peru's northern region in March was so destructive that its direct effects — such as the destruction of homes by floods and landslides — and indirect effects — especially an unprecedented outbreak of dengue fever — are still being felt today.

The drier conditions and warmer temperatures associated with climate change can create the conditions that make it easier for wildfires to start. Landscapes — both soil and trees — are now often more thoroughly damaged, making it more difficult for them to regenerate. The concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere is also raised by wildfire activity.