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USCCB Report The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in favor of Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties means “justice has prevailed,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad

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(Updated at 12:44 p.m.) By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service    READ MORE: USCCB Releases Statement Live Twitter feed of Supreme Court Coverage  WASHINGTON — In a narrowly tailored 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court June 30 said closely held companies may be exempted from a government requirement to include contraceptives

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A woman walks toward a Hobby Lobby store in Phoenix March 24. The Hobby Lobby chain and Conestoga Wood Specialties are the plaintiffs in two cases before the Supreme Court. They are suing over a federal requirement that employers cover a range of contraceptives and services in their employees' health plans. The companies' Christian owners object to the mandate on religious rights grounds. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec) (March 24, 2014) See SCOTUS-MANDATE and MANDATE-PROTEST March 25, 2014.
Staff Report The Supreme Court decision in the cases involving the Department of Health and Human Services’ contraceptive mandate and for-profit employers Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Woods will be handed down this morning, June 30, around 10 a.m.

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By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  WASHINGTON — In a June 26 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that 35-foot buffer zones around abortion clinics — meant to keep demonstrators away — violates First Amendment rights. Supreme Court watchers suspect a decision in the other high-profile case being monitored

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By Francis Njuguna Catholic News Service  NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s Catholic bishops blamed “inherent corruption” and ethnic tensions for the country’s recent insecurity. A June 25 statement signed by the country’s 26 bishops said the “situation has been aggravated further by the rising political temperatures on both sides of the

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By Catholic News Service  SILVER SPRING, Md. — Msgr. Richard Hilgartner, outgoing executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Divine Worship, has been named the new president of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, based in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring. Msgr. Hilgartner will assume his new role

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis‘ schedule for summer 2014 is almost an exact duplicate of the schedule he kept in 2013, except he will be making an August trip to South Korea for Asian Youth Day. Last year, he traveled to Brazil in July

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(Editor’s Note: This Catholic News Service report was originally released on March 19, 2014. With Fathers’ Day this weekend, the story has been reposted for your enjoyment.) By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — On the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church and Jesus’

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Auxiliary Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop Paul D. Sirba of Duluth, Minn., center, and other bishops read from an iPad June 11 during the annual spring meeting of the U .S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in New Orleans. (CNS photo/Bob Roller) (June 12, 2014) See BISHOPS- June 11 and 12, 2014.
By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. bishops gathered in New Orleans for their spring general assembly June 11-13, were urged to promote and support Catholic families. Among the bishops in attendance were the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph R.

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By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Praying for peace in the Holy Land alongside leaders of long-antagonistic nations, Pope Francis called on God to act where human efforts had failed, to end what he described as violence inspired by the devil.