World News

The Holy See’s permanent observer to the U.N. raised global development, poverty, and women’s equality as topics of concern during the 81st General Assembly.Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, the Holy See’s apostolic nuncio to the U.N., called for “true equality” for women, and for global economic and technological advances to prioritize the human person and the common ... read more

The Canadian government will not expand its broadly popular assisted suicide program for individuals suffering solely from a mental illness, Minister of Justice Sean Fraser said on Oct. 7. The announcement brings an end to several years of debate and speculation regarding whether the country would allow doctors to help kill individuals who are suffering ... read more

undefined Pope Leo XIV participates in the opening prayer for a weeklong meeting of bishops on the family in light of the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, on Oct. 7, 2026, in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall. Dominican Sister Helen Alford, a prominent social scientist, addressed a Vatican conference on the 10th ... read more

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday urged bishops from around the world gathered at the Vatican for a meeting on the family to face with “courage” the challenge of learning from and responding to families marked by hardship and “apparent failure.”“The wisdom of the people of God reaches us through our common faith, which enlightens all ... read more

The pontiff has convened 152 church leaders and theological experts to assess the reception of Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia ("The Joy of Love") 10 years after its publication.  ... read more

VATICAN CITY — Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation on the family, is consistent with the Church teaching and practice that came before it, Sister Helen Alford, OP, said at the opening of a Vatican meeting about the papal document on Wednesday.Like an earlier document on the family by St. John Paul II, Amoris ... read more

undefined Christ is the Divine Physician. COMMENTARY: We have a golden opportunity to critique and resist a system run by the bean counters and efficiency mongers — and put the radical love of Christ back at the center of patient care. ... read more

A former Australian Catholic bishop was sentenced Wednesday to six years and six months in prison for sexually abusing two young Indigenous men. ... read more

undefined The Book of the Gospels sits in the Sistine Chapel ahead of the arrival of cardinal electors for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The pontiff held a private audience on Wednesday with a group of Vatican Museum patrons. ... read more

(Image: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash.com) Dear Reader, You have undoubtedly noticed that the Catholic World Report site has been difficult to access for several days. It has been timing out and not responsive for long stretches. For various reasons, it has been struggling for a while now, and we’ve been working on ... read more

Just days after Pope Leo XIV's Sept. 25-28 visit to France, scenes of unrest have replaced the atmosphere of unity and peace that marked the papal trip. Riots that began in the Paris region on a small scale Sept. 17 spread nationwide after Sept. 28, forcing closures or disruptions at nearly 900 of France's 3,700 ... read more

In the first case of its new term Oct. 5, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a lawsuit from officials in Boulder, Colorado, against two major oil companies over climate change. ... read more

Father Ignacio Larrañaga was described as a mystic “who, through his warm words and profound contemplative experience, taught millions of people how to pray and live in intimacy with the Father.” Father Ignacio Larrañaga. | Credit: Viveca Venegas Vilaró Father Ignacio Larrañaga Orbegozo, a Capuchin ... read more

Father Ignacio Larrañaga Orbegozo, a Capuchin priest and founder of the Prayer and Life Workshops, has formally begun his journey toward beatification and canonization. On Oct. 6, the Mexican Archdiocese of Guadalajara opened the diocesan phase of his cause.During the ceremony held at the archdiocesan curia, the “nihil obstat” (“no objection”) from the Vaticanʼs Dicastery ... read more

undefined Jonathan Reyes, the new CEO of FOCUS. Jonathan Reyes will serve as FOCUS’ next chief executive officer, effective Nov. 16. ... read more