Diocese of Oakland announces closure of 13 parishes amid declining resources
The Diocese of Oakland, California, will shutter 13 churches across the East Bay as part of a restructuring effort driven by shrinking congregations, a severe priest shortage, and mounting financial…
Church must proclaim truth without imposing itself, Pope Leo XIV says
Pope Leo XIV said Thursday that the Church is called to reach all peoples not by imposing itself but by bearing witness to the truth in charity. In an April…
Popemobile to begin charity tour in the United States
The popemobile, the popeʼs special vehicle, will begin a charity tour of the United States. On Wednesday at the Vatican, representatives of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and…
What is ‘ecclesiastical communion,’ which Pope Leo XIV granted to the new Chaldean patriarch?
Pope Leo XIV granted ecclesiastical communion to the new patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona, who now serves as the head of this Eastern…
Pope Leo XIII’s legacy reaches space with asteroid named in his honor
The Vatican Observatory has named four asteroids after key figures in its history. Among them is Pope Leo XIII, who refounded the institution in 1891. The newly named asteroids were…
Trump fires National Science Foundation board, including 2 Catholic scientists
The Trump administration has dissolved the governing body that oversees the National Science Foundation, which included two high-ranking staff members at The Catholic University of America (CUA). CUA Executive Vice…
Miami Catholic Charities to lay off more than 80 employees after government cut millions in funding
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami (CCADM) said it will cut more than 80 jobs after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to renew an $11…
U.S. Supreme Court allows faith-based pregnancy center to challenge donor subpoena
The U.S. Supreme Court said a New Jersey faith-based pregnancy center may challenge a state subpoena demanding donor information. The court in a unanimous ruling April 29 decided the case…
Indian police arrest Hindu YouTuber over St. Francis Xavier ‘terrorist’ jibe
The vociferous protests over a Hindu activist calling St. Francis Xavier — patron of the tiny Indian state of Goa, a former Portuguese colony on Indiaʼs west coast — a…
Christian IDF soldiers meet Netanyahu amid rising tensions
JERUSALEM — Catholic soldiers were among the three dozen young Israeli servicemen and servicewomen invited to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, April 26. The meeting was…
EU bishops in Cyprus echo Pope Leo XIV: ‘Let those who have weapons lay them down’
Catholic bishops of the European Union closed their spring plenary in Cyprus with an urgent appeal for peace in the Middle East and a public gesture of solidarity with the…
Pope Leo XIV condemns surge of violence in Colombia following attacks on civilians
Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday condemned a surge of violence in Colombia, following a weekend of deadly attacks in the southwest part of the country. Since Friday, rebel groups have…