The "confrontational" tone dominating both global and national politics is "deepening instability and unpredictability day by day," Pope Leo XIV wrote in his message for World Peace Day.

With Communion bowls in hand, a group of California bishops walked through the barbed wire gates of the ICE Processing Center and offered Jesus to the men locked inside.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Dec. 17 that she will sign a bill that would allow physicians to aid terminally ill adults to die by suicide, making New York the 13th state, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize assisted suicide after Illinois did so earlier this week.

The onetime Beverly Hills resident became a nun at age 50, and for more than three decades devoted her life to serving not only those behind bars, but also others on the outside who were poor, sick and vulnerable. https://bit.ly/4oZFs9a

Throughout the month of December, Caritas Jerusalem launched the "Christmas of Hope," a campaign meant to address the "deep need to restore joy, dignity, and spiritual renewal to communities that have endured" the devastation of war.

Tennessee Christian faith leaders in early December called on the state of Tennessee and Republican Gov. Bill Lee to stop all executions.

Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as the new archbishop of New York. Here are five things to know about Hicks.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet as the next archbishop of New York, marking a decisive shift in leadership style for one of the most visible dioceses in the United States.

After two years of war and heartbreak, the ceasefire — despite violations — has given some hope that the war will end in the foreseeable future.

A renowned Brazilian Catholic priest confirmed Tuesday that he was ordered by Sao Paulo's archbishop to stop broadcasting his services and avoid social media postings all-together, following attacks from right-wing figures who denounce his actions as leftist.

Several parishes and schools across Western Washington have shut down operations due to historic flooding in the state.

Condemning the attack on Jews celebrating Hanukkah in Sydney, Pope Leo XIV said, "Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence! We must eradicate hatred from our hearts."

Bishop Bruce Lewandowski of Providence offered prayers for "all affected by this tragedy" in the wake of a Dec. 13 shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and nine others injured.

Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Fr. Christopher Collins from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul led the prayer service, which was held as federal officials conducted an immigration enforcement effort in the Twin Cities.

Pope Leo XIV criticized prison overcrowding and insufficient inmate rehabilitation programs on Sunday as he celebrated a special Mass for detainees, guards and their families in the final event of the Vatican's 2025 Holy Year.

There's a saying in Mexico: "Not all Mexicans are Catholic, but all are Guadalupan." The phrase conveys the deep connection between Our Lady of Guadalupe and the country's identity.

St. Lucy, whose feast day is Dec. 13, is said to have brought food to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs.

Recent controversy highlights sectarian sensibilities of many lay faithful in the U.S. church, the lack of imagination among some hierarchs and the perennial difficulty in drawing lines between the sacred and the profane.

Amid immigration raids in Louisiana, dozens gathered at a New Orleans church for a candlelight vigil, praying for both those detained and for law enforcement officials.

As Christianity compels us, we need to put aside our arrogance and partisanship on health care and do what is best for the nation and its people. And, if Congress is incapable of reforming the health care system, we should put them on Medicaid. That should wake them up, says Fr. Tom Reese.

Christine Schenk asks: Is the Holy Spirit telling us that female exclusion from ordained ministry and church decision-making is no longer acceptable and that something needs to be done about it?

As Dec. 12 approaches, millions of pilgrims are converging on the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world.

Getting to know more deeply the people of Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis since a fatal shooting Aug. 27 during an all-school Mass has made clear how important prayer has been in keeping them together, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said Dec. 6.

As U.S. agencies send clear messages about who is welcomed and who is not, St. Joseph Sr. Kari Pohl has created the migration mysteries: a rosary rooted in Jesus' own story of migration.

Sixty percent of Catholics under 18 identify as Hispanic, but Latinos are underrepresented at Catholic universities. Latinos are also a minority among campus ministers and make up less than 10% of theology students.

Christmas celebrations are slowly returning to the traditional birthplace of Jesus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Over 5,000 indigenous people attended the UN's climate summit in the Amazon to call for land rights over their ancestral territories, but it's unclear to what degree negotiations took them into account.

The anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect not just on what the document says, but on the young papacy of Leo XIV.

"It could be that I am praying right now," he continued. "As a matter of fact, I prefer to pray in a Catholic church in the presence of the most holy sacrament." "That so much was made about that moment seemed to me a bit curious," he said.

Kalaupapa in Hawaii was a settlement where people with Hansen's disease, or leprosy, were quarantined. Two saints spent years serving those exiled there. COVID-19 closed Kalaupapa to the public, but it is now reopened.

Somalis have come, like generations of immigrants before them, to build dreams for those who will follow.

The New Orleans Archdiocese will pay at least $230 million to hundreds of survivors of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement approved by a federal judge on Monday.

The Archdiocese of New York on Monday announced it will set up a $300 million fund to compensate victims of sexual abuse who have sued the church.

Meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the importance of dialogue and his hopes for a just and lasting peace in the region.

Despite claims of a revival of religion in the United States, a new report from Pew Research Center finds young Americans remain less religious than their parents or grandparents, with just over half (55%) claiming a religion.

"Being rooted in faith is what leads us to be resilient," said the president of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on Xavier’s Founder’s Day.

The region's religious decline shows a surprising difference from patterns elsewhere. While fewer Latin Americans are identifying with a religion or attending services, personal faith remains strong.

Gabby and Brother Leo discuss why Pope Leo's trip to Turkey was so important.

The New Orleans Archdiocese will pay at least $230 million to hundreds of victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement approved Dec. 8 by a federal judge that follows years of negotiations.

Advent's Lent-like waiting period is exactly why churches do not immediately whip out Christmas trees at the end of Ordinary Time. It's not just about being minimalist, but following a tradition of when the church celebrates what.

The ordination of women to the permanent diaconate would certainly constitute a welcome step that would enlarge our understanding of God.

Calling it a "politically divisive display," the Boston Archdiocese has asked a local suburban parish to remove a Nativity scene that substitutes images of the Holy Family with a sign criticizing the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign.

Saying it is possible both to uphold justice and to exercise mercy, Florida's Catholic bishops have urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay executions scheduled for Dec. 9 and Dec. 18.

On a cold, wintery day, with the congregation gathered around Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishops Kevin Kenney and Michael Izen outside the main doors of Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, the rite of reparation began Dec. 6 that restored the space for worship.

Amid immigration detention sweeps in Louisiana — part of an ongoing nationwide campaign by the Trump administration — Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge has issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for those concerned for their safety.

This week on "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," John Dear speaks with Mike Martin, a blacksmith and founder of RAWtools.

The chair of the U.S. bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation Dec. 5 praised "the rich gifts that neighbors from diverse cultures bring to our communities."

"We have learned that impact not only happens through resources but through relationships, solidarity, trust and partnerships that do not dictate but empower," writes Sr. Josephine Kwenga.

Some observers say this meeting of Leo's was the most powerfully emotional moment of his entire visit as he consoled the loved ones of those who died.

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington has announced he is "cancer free," following surgery Nov. 13 for a rare but non-aggressive cancer.