World News

Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, is a paean to peace that warns of the danger of “a world in a permanent state of belligerence" even more threatening than the Cold War era.In that era, the pope writes, despite the existence of grave conflicts, “the awareness persisted that a new global conflict had to ... read more

Pope Leo XIV this week received as a gift the steering wheel of the Ferrari Luce, the Italian brand’s first fully electric car.Leo also had the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat of the new vehicle, presented by Ferrari as “not only the ‘electric Ferrari,’ but an entirely new Ferrari.”In a statement, the Italian ... read more

Pope Leo XIV will travel to the Republic of San Marino, an independent sovereign state within the Italian peninsula, on Aug. 22 as part of his trip to the Italian province of Rimini.The Vatican announced the visit in a statement from the Prefecture of the Papal Household, noting that the trip is part of his ... read more

<p>Fr. Brendan McGuire used to be a Silicon Valley technology executive. Now he's hearing their confessions. Today, the Irish-born pastor of St. ... read more

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson cast Pope Leo XIV as a powerful global ally on social justice, migration and reparations after meeting the Chicago-born pontiff at the Vatican, saying their shared roots and priorities could help amplify efforts to protect vulnerable communities. ... read more

Most U.S. adults who regularly attend religious services have heard their clergy speak about at least one political or social issue recently, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. ... read more

Part of the richness of our Catholic sacramental life is its tangibility — its appeal to our senses. Natural elements like water and fire are used in our sacraments to remind us of holy intangibles. Yet these symbols aren’t things that Church folks dreamed up — it’s been the way God has revealed himself since ... read more

The Charlotte diaconate ordinations occurred last weekend. Ours is a diocese that has been the subject of an abundance of articles over the past couple of years, ever since the newly-appointed Bishop Michael Martin instituted controversial changes. He sequestered the Latin Mass to a remote chapel and attempted to institute a litany of changes to ... read more

The priest intones, “Peace be with you.” The congregation responds, “And with your spirit.” And then, sometimes it doesn’t come. The priest doesn’t say, “Let us offer each other the sign of peace.” Sometimes—often, around my town—he moves on with the Mass. And yet, even when the priest does not invite us, the church is ... read more

Santa Cruz de Tenerife – The upcoming visit of the Holy Father to the Canary Islands on June 11 and 12 focuses on the migratory reality in the Atlantic, one of the most dangerous and deadly routes in the world, bringing thousands of people to the Canary Islands after crossings marked by suffering and the ... read more

Letters to the editor: NCR readers respond to stories about Pope Leo XIV's apology for the church's role in slavery, his new encyclical and the vocation of higher education.  ... read more

In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo said, "Technology has the power to heal, connect, educate and protect our common home; but it can also divide, exclude and generate new forms of injustice." ... read more

In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV has spoken about war, peace, technology and human dignity with the clarity this moment demands. Catholics should now ask what it means to say that just war theory is "outdated." ... read more

Ultimately, faith is the only key to the universe. — Thomas Merton ... read more

Today is the Optional Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978). Paul VI was canonized and added to the General Roman Calendar on January 25, 2019, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Giovanni Battista Montini was born on September 26, 1897, in a village near Brescia Concesio. On May 29, 1920, he was ... read more