World News

Pope Leo XIV welcomed legendary American singer-songwriter and 2016 Nobel Prize in literature laureate Bob Dylan to the Vatican on Wednesday, Nov. 4.During the meeting, for which Dylan wore a black-hooded jacket, the Holy Father presented him with a rosary, while the 85-year-old singer gifted the pontiff a copy of his autobiography, “Chronicles: Volume One,” ... read more

Bob Dylan came knockin' on Pope Leo XIV' s door Wednesday, as the American singer-songwriter and poet visited with the American pope at the Vatican during a break between concert dates in Italy. ... read more

undefined Buildings line the Cleveland city skyline on Oct. 7, 2016. The North Royalton Fire Department announced on Nov. 3 that one of its firefighters, Ryan Milligan, had died after fighting a fire in Broadview Heights the day before. ... read more

undefined Press conference to present the fifth annual report of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform at the Holy See Press Office in Rome on Nov. 4, 2026. The Laudato Si’ Platform launched the map during a press conference at the Holy See Press Office on Wednesday. ... read more

undefined Pope Leo XIV prays in front of ruins of the 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2025. The pontiff held a private audience on Wednesday with a delegation from L’Oeuvre d’Orient, which has supported Eastern Christians since 1856. ... read more

Pro-abortion advocates prevailed in three of four ballot referendums, while Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the Nov. 3 elections, prompting responses from some U.S. Catholic bishops and pro-life groups.Voters in Virginia and Nevada adopted amendments to their state constitutions to create a legal right to abortion, with more than 62% ... read more

 Nov. 3 election results represent "a dead end for the culture warrior approach to Catholic politics favored by the [U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops] since the late 1990s," one expert told NCR. ... read more

Amid the Democrats' sweeping victories in the Nov. 3 midterms, Catholic identity remained visible among winners on both sides of the political divide. ... read more

Ten years after the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the Vatican has launched a new digital atlas to advance his ecological vision.The Laudato Si’ Platform launched the Atlas of Laudato Si’ at a press conference Wednesday at the Holy See Press Office in Rome. The organization also presented its fifth annual report at the ... read more

Voters in four states considered ballot measures related to abortion policy Nov. 3, with only one state rejecting a measure to expand access to the procedure, and the others approving proposals to codify a right to an abortion or rejecting further limits. ... read more

undefined Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims on a cool autumn morning at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Nov. 4, 2026. The pontiff highlighted the continuing relevance of the Church’s calls to “commit to eliminating discrimination against the most vulnerable social groups and migrants.” ... read more

undefined Carl Pietzner, “Archduke Karl of Austria and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma,” July 12, 1911 COMMENTARY: The Habsburg family’s bequest to Quebec symbolizes a remarkable trust in God’s Providence across the oceans and through decades of exile. ... read more

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Martial Bernard as the new bishop of Soissons in France. At 48 years of age, he will become the youngest bishop in France on Dec. 20, when he receives his episcopal consecration.According to the website Catholic-Hierarchy, which specializes in information about bishops worldwide, the previous youngest bishop in France ... read more

The Catholic Counter-Reformation of the second half of the sixteenth century had many important protagonists. One man who did the most to advance the cause of reform on the practical level was St. Charles Borromeo [...] ... read more

undefined Ryan and Jessica McGinty pose for a photo with the smallest member of the wedding party, little nephew Archer from the bride's side of the family. Long before ever sharing a conversation, a cup of coffee, or a date, Ryan and Jessica had knelt side by side to receive every major ... read more