World News

Three bishops took part in a traditional pilgrimage in Nitra, Slovakia, over the weekend to mark the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The largest event of its kind in the area, the pilgrimage dates back to the 18th century, with pilgrims first marching up the local hill of Calvary in 1766, ... read more

Pope Leo XIV has sent a message expressing his closeness to the Indonesian people following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Aug. 15.In a telegram dated Aug. 17 and signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope expressed his sadness on learning of the earthquake, which, according to an Aug. 17 ... read more

Commentators on both the Left and the Right have begun warning that America is slipping into a new Weimar Republic. Popular podcasters Scott Galloway and Kara Swisher from one side and writer Rod Dreher from the other have been issuing increasingly hyperbolic warnings that the growing anti-Semitism we are seeing on college campuses, online, and ... read more

It would be hard to say that all is well in Church and State across the planet this August of 2026. Last month, I pointed out the contribution played by fatherhood in any healthy society—and imputed a great deal of our current mess to its lack. This is certainly true; but there are other aspects ... read more

On this week's episode of "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," John Dear hosts David Beckmann, former president of Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization that fights poverty and hunger. ... read more

"The demand for ideological conformity to extreme views combined with the structural impediment caused by gerrymandered districts results in a party that has lost the art of persuasion," writes Michael Sean Winters. ... read more

Last year alone the Sunshine State executed 19 death row inmates, and this year the number is already at 12, with three more to go. This trend alarms Florida's bishops and it should stir the consciences of all Catholics. ... read more

Many men enter seminaries and religious communities well after the age traditionally associated with priestly formation. Some spent years building careers, dating, or living independently before pursuing the priesthood. ... read more

Ireland celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Knock, celebrating the apparition of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, a Lamb and cross on an altar on the wall of the parish church in the village of Knock in County Mayo on August 21, 1879. See August 21 for more ideas to celebrate ... read more

by Pascale RizkCaen – To ensure that the ancient “Mission of Caen” does not remain merely a historic building but becomes a place of living memory, the Eudist Fathers and Mary, together with the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd in the French province have launched what they call the “Extended ... read more

by Andrew Doan Thanh PhongHue - Regardless of travelling for a long distance and no matter when residing in the difficult condition into uncomfortable tents being temporarily erected under hot temperatures, sometimes reaching up to 40°C approximately 160,000 Vietnamese faithful from all over the country and overseas came to participate in the La Vang Congress ... read more

Across the Middle East and North Africa, Christians celebrated the solemnity of the Assumption according to their own traditions and cultures, despite the different challenges facing their communities.LebanonDespite the ongoing war and the country’s difficult economic situation, streets across Lebanon on Saturday were filled with processions honoring the Virgin Mary, with each village marking the ... read more

In his Sunday Angelus address on Aug. 16, Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling for a two-state solution and an end to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.“I renew my appeal for an end to the ongoing violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank, ... read more

Lech Walesa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership of the Polish anti-communist resistance as the head of the Solidarity trade union, and was later Polish president, had a front row seat during the ceremony. ... read more

Writings by St. Thomas Aquinas laid the groundwork for the concept back in the 13th century, but the Industrial Revolution prompted theologians to refine the idea and develop Catholic social teaching. ... read more