PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- Almost 1,000 members of the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary filled Philadelphia's grand Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul July 21 for an opening Mass of thanksgiving as part of their annual convention, the first to be held in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia...
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RALEIGH, N.C. (CNS) -- Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh said the latest session of the international Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue allowed leaders of the two religions "to renew our common faith in the healing power of Jesus," who "continues to demonstrate his love and miracles in our midst."...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With an estimated 27 million people being trafficked around the world for sex and labor throughout the year, according to the State Department, it's not easy to crack down on the lucrative trade in people. First off, it's profitable. Tens of billions of dollars are at stake and...
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RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) -- Pope Francis addressed a group of recovering drug addicts in a working-class neighborhood of Rio, offering them a message of compassion and hope as well as a call to self-determination. At the Hospital of St. Francis of Assisi, which he called a "shrine of human suffering,"...
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SAO PAULO (CNS) -- As hundreds of thousands of young Catholic pilgrims descend on Brazil, World Youth Day coordinators in Rio de Janeiro are putting the finishing touches on preparations for up to 2.5 million people. By July 15, more than 320,000 people had registered for the event. Media coordinat...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With retired Pope Benedict XVI sitting next to him, Pope Francis formally recited separate prayers to consecrate Vatican City to St. Joseph and to St. Michael the Archangel. The early morning ceremony in the Vatican Gardens July 5 featured the unveiling of a new statue of St....
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To help encourage prayers for a spiritually fruitful World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, the Vatican announced July 9 that Pope Francis authorized a special indulgence for those who attend the event's liturgies and prayer services or follow along online in the proper spirit of...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- As people of faith and as Americans, the nation's Catholics should kneel in prayer and also stand in defense of religious freedom, Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl said July 4 during the closing Mass for the Fortnight for Freedom at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' first encyclical, "Lumen Fidei" ("The Light of Faith"), is a celebration of Christian faith as the guiding light of a "successful and fruitful life," inspiring social action as well as devotion to God, and illuminating "every aspect of human existence," including...
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis signed a decree clearing the way for the canonization of Blessed John Paul II and has decided also to ask the world's cardinals to vote on the canonization of Blessed John XXIII, even in the absence of a miracle. After Pope Francis met July 5 with Cardinal Angelo...
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