World News

“The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” the Holy See’s permanent observer to the U.N. said during the 81st General Assembly. Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. | ... read more

For half a century, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians helped define much of the sound of Mass and other sacramental experiences throughout the United States, teaching and empowering musicians to make music a spiritual food for tens of millions every Sunday. They plan to do the same and further enrich the life of the ... read more

undefined Daniel Casillas, a speaker at the “Viva Cristo Rey! Centenary of the Cristero Epic” conference, holds a Mexican flag in St. Peter’s Square during a weekly general audience with Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 7, 2026. A century after the Cristero War began in 1926, scholars gathered to discuss the church-state relationship ... read more

A conference in Rome reflected on the legacy of Mexico’s Cristero movement, marking the 100th anniversary of the Catholic uprising against the country’s secular government.The “Viva Cristo Rey! Centenary of the Cristero Epic” began Oct. 7 at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and continues through Oct. 9. The Cristero War began ... read more

undefined St. Peter's Basilica. The Irish religious sister, who previously spoke about women who sensed a call to the priesthood or diaconate, will also serve as adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization. ... read more

Pope Leo XIV urged students and faculty at Rome’s pontifical universities to “guard your hearts” and warned against reducing intellectual activity to the collection of data during a Mass Thursday marking the opening of the academic year.Celebrating the Eucharist in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope emphasized the mission of pontifical universities, the importance of critical ... read more

undefined ‘Marriage’ COMMENTARY: A new study finds that Catholics who practice their faith are more likely to report happy, stable marriages — and points to what might be making the difference. ... read more

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Mary Teresa Barron as adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, while also entrusting her with leadership of the Pontifical Mission Societies.According to the Holy See Press Office, the Irish religious sister will assume her new ... read more

undefined The Ten Commandments sit outside the Texas Capitol where Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law on June 21, 2025, that requires public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. The Texas law “forces state-sponsored religious instruction” on public school students, the filing says. ... read more

undefined Pope Leo XIV greets a child at the Notre Dame d’Afrique Kindergarten, run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, near Algiers, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The Roman Pontiff marked the 100th anniversary of World Mission Day. ... read more

undefined Greta Gerwig is pictured with the dust jacket of the first edition of ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ by C.S. Lewis. ON FILM: Can a secular interpretation of Christian-inspired literature be blasphemous? Why we’re okay with some creative liberties of beloved stories and not others. ... read more

undefined The conference, organized by Catholics in Communion, included panels about voter support, electoral participation, political polarization, and the Church’s relationship to democracy, along with other subjects related to elections. Catholic organizations are participating in efforts to recruit and train poll chaplains, who serve an unofficial peacekeeping role at voting locations. ... read more

Religious liberty scholars at the University of Notre Dame are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a Texas law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the law in June 2025. The measure ordered that a “durable poster or framed copy of the ... read more

The Texas law “forces state-sponsored religious instruction” on public school students, the filing says. The Ten Commandments sit outside the Texas Capitol where Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law on June 21, 2025, that requires public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. | Credit: Jana Birchum/Getty Images ... read more

Pope Leo XIV named Irish Sr. Mary Teresa Barron to lead the Vatican's global network of missionary societies, making her the first woman to hold the post. ... read more