World News

The skyline of downtown Minneapolis is shrouded in smoke on July 16, 2026. Smoke from wildfires in Minnesota and Canada is lowering air quality and visibility in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Wildfires in Canada and Minnesota have spread smoke over much of the country, reducing air quality and visibility in major U.S. ... read more

Wildfires in Canada and Minnesota have spread smoke over much of the country, reducing air quality and visibility in major U.S. cities. The skyline of downtown Minneapolis is shrouded in smoke on July 16, 2026. Smoke from wildfires in Minnesota and Canada is lowering air quality and visibility in the ... read more

Catholic Charities workers in Minnesota distributed thousands of masks to vulnerable residents this week amid widespread smoke from raging wildfires both in Minnesota and in Canada. Data from the Canadian government shows more than 120 “out of control” fires burning in the country, with a large portion concentrated north of Minnesota in the Ontario province. ... read more

The goal, the study’s authors say, is to more effectively identify candidates who shouldn’t become priests and to help candidates who should become priests prepare better for celibacy and parish life. A new study from the University of Notre Dame calls for better preparation for celibacy, greater use of psychological resources and a ... read more

France's bishops are strongly criticizing a "radical choice" made by French lawmakers to legalize "assisted dying." A watershed vote by the National Assembly July 15 legalized assisted dying, including euthanasia and assisted suicide in certain cases. ... read more

ABUJA, Nigeria — Cardinal John Onaiyekan has challenged Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to intensify efforts to end kidnapping and other violent crimes in Nigeria, insisting that the government has “no excuse” for failing to tackle the countryʼs worsening insecurity.In an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on ... read more

Cardinal John Onaiyekan has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to intensify efforts to end kidnapping and other violent crimes in Nigeria in the face of worsening insecurity. Cardinal John Onaiyekan has challenged Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to intensify efforts to end kidnapping and other violent crimes in ... read more

Twin earthquakes in Venezuela have left nearly 5,000 people dead, according to government officials, triggering a massive mobilization of humanitarian aid organizations. ... read more

Catholics and immigrant advocacy groups have expressed solidarity and offered prayers in the aftermath of two fatal shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers within less than a week. ... read more

For traditionalist Catholics who worship at churches affiliated with the breakaway Society of St. Pius X, Sunday Mass now comes with an extraordinary question. ... read more

Canadian bioethicist Moira McQueen says the case illustrates how separating conception, pregnancy, and parenthood among different people can create conflicts that no contract can fully prevent. Credit: K3S/Shutterstock A Canadian same-sex coupleʼs lawsuit against the surrogate mother who refused ... read more

A Canadian same-sex coupleʼs lawsuit against the surrogate mother who refused their request to abort their unborn child is drawing attention not only to abortion but also to deeper questions about surrogacy itself, Canadian bioethicist Moira McQueen said.Contracting a surrogate mother to carry an implanted embryo separates what the Church calls the unitive and procreative ... read more

Four of Switzerland’s largest Christian bodies say the government abolished the clergy’s military service exemption without consulting them, a move one bishop called “a lack of respect for society.” A “Suisse” patch with the flag of Switzerland adorns the camouflage uniform of a Swiss Army soldier. | Credit: Michael Derrer ... read more

Christians in Switzerland have protested a new military law that ends the long-standing exemption from compulsory military service for clergy, accusing the federal government of revising the legislation without consulting the country’s religious communities as is customary before legislative changes.The revised Federal Act on the Armed Forces, which took effect June 1, repealed Article 18, ... read more

Enjoy coffee with an Eternal City view. Register writers recommend Roman cafés (and also what to order). ... read more