World News

Tacloban City – Mission is also expressed in the Church’s capacity to accompany people in the concrete questions that shape their lives, including their participation in public affairs. This was the perspective proposed by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines , during the 70th national assembly of ... read more

(See the readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time) “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Peter says to Jesus. The confession (another way of saying “profession of faith”) is profound as Jesus notes. He had asked the disciples about His identity. People today still wrestle with the question – “who ... read more

Ruteng – “The young people of St Paul Catholic University in Ruteng have been tirelessly serving the community in the aftermath of the earthquake in Flores. Their voluntary commitment, dedication and spirit of solidarity are truly commendable and instill deep hope in all of us. By rolling up their sleeves and joining together in works ... read more

Rome once forbade Catholics to honor Confucius. Understanding why explains the Vatican’s newest dialogue, but a scintillating question remains. A statue of Confucius at the Confucian Temple in Shanghai, China. | Credit: Philip Lange/Shutterstock Is Confucianism confusing to Catholics, or did the Church simply take ... read more

Is Confucianism confusing to Catholics, or did the Church simply take centuries to clarify a stance on the teachings of Confucius and his disciples?A bit of both.When the Vaticanʼs Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue held its first Confucian-Christian colloquium in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 4–5, some 150 participants from more than a dozen countries spoke ... read more

On July 25, more than 300 Catholics, clergy, relatives and community supporters gathered in Houston for a Mass to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, with hundreds more joining a prayer procession and candlelight vigil. ... read more

Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholic legislators to promote policies that protect families from the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI).The pontiff delivered his remarks on Aug. 21 in an audience at the Vatican with participants of the 17th annual meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN), taking place in Rome from Aug. 20–23.Cardinals Christoph ... read more

The pontiff held a private audience with a delegation from the International Catholic Legislators Network on Aug. 21. Pope Leo XIV delivers remarks during a private audience with a delegation from the International Catholic Legislators Network at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Aug. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican ... read more

"Every technological achievement also confronts humanity with a moral question: not merely what can we do, but what ought we to do?" the pontiff said. ... read more

Catholic and Confucian scholars emphasized their shared goals for humanity while acknowledging important theological differences between the two traditions. Statue of Confucius at Confucian Temple in Shanghai, China. | Credit: Philip Lange/Shutterstock Catholic officials concluded their first-ever conference with Confucian thinkers this month, with both ... read more

Catholic officials concluded their first-ever conference with Confucian thinkers this month, with both traditions coming together to spotlight their “shared convictions” for humanity in spite of the stark differences in their historical developments.The Holy See’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea teamed up with the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Academy to hold ... read more

This month Lebanon became the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty, a historic step that drew widespread international praise and was hailed as a major victory for human dignity and human rights. Just days later, another landmark measure known as the general amnesty law proved far more controversial. The legislation has sparked ... read more

The historic step is being hailed as a major victory for human dignity and human rights, while another piece of legislation about general amnesty has sparked intense debate. A picture taken on Jan. 25, 2020, shows Lebanese soldiers standing guard beneath a giant national flag in the capital, Beirut, with ... read more

Here are 6 Augustinian saints and a blessed who the the Catholic Church celebrates in August. St. Monica, left, and St. Augustine of Hippo, right. | Credit: Luis Tristán, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Philippe de Champaigne, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons August is a ... read more

August is a particularly important month for Augustinians, the Order of St. Augustine of Hippo to which Pope Leo XIV belongs, as the Catholic Church celebrates a number of Augustinian saints.St. Augustine himself and his mother, St. Monica, are honored just one day apart at the end of August, but mystics, missionaries, and martyrs who ... read more