A few years ago, I asked a Salvadoran priest whether he believed Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, the best known of the martyrs of El Salvador, would ever be recognized by the Catholic Church as … more

Blesseds Paul VI and Oscar Romero crossed paths on their road to sainthood and formed a personal friendship that strengthened each other’s resolve in the face of growing challenges, an Italian … more

To strengthen and support young people in the faith, members of the Synod of Bishops will need to listen to their real-life stories, interpret what they hear in the light of the Gospel and make … more

RELATED VIDEO: The synod and fighting abuse Responding to clerical sexual abuse demands truth and justice, not just admitting a sin was committed, said Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna of … more

As the world Synod of Bishops unfolds at the Vatican, thousands of faithful pilgrims get ready to witness the Oct. 14 canonization of Blessed Oscar Romero, along with Blessed Paul VI and five … more

RELATED VIDEO -- Explained: The Vatican-China agreement For the first time in decades, all of the Catholic bishops in China are in full communion with the Pope, the Vatican announced. Pope … more

Signaling his belief that the Catholic Church is facing a serious crisis, Pope Francis asked every Catholic in the world to pray for the protection of the Church from attacks by the devil, but also … more

In a stadium of Catholic families from around the world, Pope Francis told the laypeople they are the vast majority of Church members and that, without them, the Church would be cold, a … more

On a foggy, soggy day at a Marian shrine in County Mayo, Pope Francis said he prayed for the intercession of Our Lady of Knock for all those who suffered sexual and physical abuse by Catholic … more

God wants every person to love and be loved, creating a family or community where love is nurtured and shared with all who are poor, lonely or in need, Pope Francis said. En route to joining … more

Two underground parish priests in China’s Gansu province have been removed after being accused of holding a summer camp for a youth group at their church. Father Wang Yiqin of Hui county … more

Catholic groups have collected and are distributing aid for thousands of people affected by a deadly earthquake that struck Lombok, Indonesia’s popular tourist island. The magnitude 6.4 … more

Marcelo Perdomo didn’t think an earthly brush with holiness would take place in his native El Salvador next to the parish priest. As a young man in the early 1960s, Perdomo worked in his … more

On a Sunday night in early July, four men –  two of them indigenous – were brutally murdered in Assis, a tiny Brazilian town on the border with Peru. Far from the two … more

The presence in the United States of about 3,000 priests and religious from countries in Africa is a great contribution to the U.S., said Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey. That … more

The internationally acclaimed Irish dance troupe Riverdance will be among those performing for Pope Francis at the August World Meeting of Families in Dublin, organizers said July 19. The group – which has been seen by some 25 million people worldwide – will be one of the main acts at a Festival of Families Aug. 25 before an expected 80,000 people at Croke Park stadium in Dublin. Brenda Drumm, spokeswoman for the World Meeting of Families, said she expects people from 116 countries to participate in the event, at which the Pope will preside. Pope Francis also will hear testimony from families from India, Iraq, Ireland and Burkina Faso on topics as diverse as the effects of technology on family life and the value of families forgiving one another. The Festival of Families will be a two-hour spectacle of music, dance and worship and is choreographed as a celebration of family life. It is billed as one of the highlights of the meeting. As well as prominent performers such as Daniel O’Donnell and Nathan Carter, the cast for the Festival of Families will include an orchestra of more than 50 musicians; more than 700 Irish Sean Nos and contemporary dancers, including 500 from Irish dance schools across the country; a 1,000-member choir; 100 community groups; and 300 flag bearers. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, president of World Meeting of Families, told reporters at a news conference at the stadium that expectations about Pope Francis’ visit vary. “There is enthusiasm: Within days of opening registration, the bookings for all the major events of Pope Francis’ visit were sold out. Very large numbers will come from abroad, and this event will be a way to highlight modern Ireland to the world. “This is a great opportunity,” he said. “One of the great attractions of Pope Francis is how he shows us that he can live in a world where faith seems marginal and yet manage to touch hearts,” the archbishop said. “He finds ways in which he can win hearts for what the teaching of Jesus involves, not through imposing and judging, but through winning and attracting.” However, Archbishop Martin cautioned against thinking that the papal visit would set a definitive plan for the renewal of the Church in Ireland after decades of scandal and decline. “Pope Francis will not work miracles,” he said. “In a visit of little more than 36 hours, it will not be possible for him to design a new road map for the Irish Church. “At most he can offer the Irish Church the instruments on which that new road map can be drawn. We all have to understand, however, that while you can still draw maps on paper, maps today are different. They are interactive and constantly being updated. “Pope Francis will challenge the Irish Church to be authentically the Church in a changed culture,” he said. Organizers said the selection of themes and artists featured in the event reflect many of the priorities in the ministry of Pope Francis, including homelessness and those on the margins; migrants and refugees; care for the earth and the importance of the family. The Pope’s visit will be preceded by a three-day pastoral congress, which will reflect on the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World.” The Pope also will also visit a Capuchin-run day center for homeless families and the national Marian shrine of Knock. As well as presiding at the closing Mass of World Meeting of Families, with an expected crowd of some 600,000, Pope Francis will meet with President Michael D. Higgins and other state officials during the short trip. more

The Mexican bishops conference extended congratulations to presidential election winner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who won a landslide victory on an agenda of change and promises to combat … more

Nicaraguan bishops and clergy were attacked by armed groups aligned with the government July 9 as violence in the Central American country escalated and affected the Catholic Church, which has … more

World War I and its aftermath changed the map of Europe, but also dismantled the notion of the “state church” in a way that forced the Catholic Church to discover again the authentic … more

Can one imagine a more difficult year for “Humanae Vitae” (“Of Human Life”) to be heard than 1968? Blessed Paul VI’s encyclical came out just as the sexual revolution … more