World News

Oregon’s Catholic bishops are urging prayer after a shooting Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, which left five people dead — including three young children — and two critically wounded.According to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, a 16-year-old forced his way into the elementary school by shooting through locked doors before opening ... read more

undefined Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, spoke with Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 16, 2026. Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone while the pope remains hospitalized. ... read more

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has restored federal funding to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) after suspending it last year over concerns about the charity’s past recordkeeping for programs that provided services to asylum seekers and migrants.In November 2025, the charity faced a potential six-year debarment based on concerns ... read more

Voters in the Wisconsin midterm elections will decide whether to ban the local government from closing places of worship in a state of emergency, six years after a diocese threatened to sue over Mass restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.The ballot measure, titled “Prohibit Government Closure of Places of Worship During Emergencies Amendment (2026),” would alter ... read more

Australiaʼs antislavery commissioner, who has hailed the Catholic sector as a national leader in fighting modern slavery, says proposed new penalties against forced labor do not go far enough.Chris Evans demanded that large companies should be legally required to root out exploitation in their supply chains.In a paper released Thursday, Evans estimated that Australia imports ... read more

We are bent under the weight of the most powerful man in the world: The Ukraine war. The Iranian war. Gas prices. Food prices. ICE abuses of immigrants. The Epstein files. ... read more

Two decades after his first novel became a runaway hit, William Paul Young returns to the world of ‘The Shack’ in a story where a grieving father meets the man who killed his daughter. ... read more

Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Oct. 16 while the pope remains hospitalized.According to a Holy See statement, the pope expressed concern about Oleshky in the Kherson region, a city in the Russian-occupied portion of Ukraine where a severe humanitarian crisis is underway and where, according to the United Nations, ... read more

Oregon's Catholic bishops expressed sympathy and encouraged the community to support those affected by a shooting at a Bend, Oregon, elementary school that left five dead and two wounded. ... read more

The Vatican on Friday released the first images of Pope Leo XIV since his lung cancer surgery, showing him celebrating Mass, as doctors said that tests confirmed the "continued improvement" in his recovery. ... read more

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Vaticanʼs Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, is undertaking his first official visit to the United Kingdom. Running Oct. 16–22, the high-profile visit centers on the theme "Together in Prayer and Dialogue for Peace.”Koovakad’s itinerary includes visits to London and Birmingham, featuring meetings with representatives from various faith traditions, including members ... read more

undefined Community members grieve during a candlelight vigil at Drake Park on Oct. 15, 2026, in Bend, Oregon, after the deadly mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School earlier that day. The tragedy that claimed the lives of three students has prompted an outpouring of pastoral care and community support across the state. ... read more

Catholic leaders are urging the U.S. Congress to defend disability rights, warning that a new Justice Department (DOJ) legal interpretation could threaten community-based care and increase the risk of unnecessary institutionalization.In a Oct. 14 letter, six Catholic leaders expressed concern over a June 18 legal opinion in which the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) ... read more

Catholic leaders urged Congress to defend disability rights, warning a new Department of Justice opinion could threaten community-based care. U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Tanarch/Shutterstock Catholic leaders are urging the U.S. Congress to defend disability rights, warning that a new Justice Department (DOJ) ... read more

Catholic leaders urged Congress to defend disability rights, warning a new Department of Justice opinion could threaten community-based care. [...] ... read more