By Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Dec 17, 2019 / 04:00 pm (CNA).- The White House hosted dozens of Catholic leaders on Monday afternoon for an internal briefing on life and religious freedom issues. The off the record briefing, held in the Indian Treaty room of the Executive Office Building, focused …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Spirit Juice, courtesy Knights of Columbus By Andrew Butler The only water available to the people in the mountain region of Santa Maria in Jalapa, Guatemala, was bacteria-infested. Women and girls would spend as much as eight hours per day hauling the water for their families. They would …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Dennis Sadowski WASHINGTON (CNS) — Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has welcomed dialogue that has led to often candid assessments from clergy and papal advisers about the path he is charting for the Catholic Church. From discussions during the recent Synod of Bishops on the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Evandro Inetti, pool By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has abolished the obligation of secrecy for those who report having been sexually abused by a priest and for those who testify in a church trial or process having to do with clerical sexual abuse. "The …

Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec 16, 2019 / 01:42 pm (CNA).- The Diocese of Pittsburgh has announced that next month 26 existing parishes will be merged into eight new parishes as part of the “On Mission for the Church Alive!” strategic planning initiative. “For more than a year, you have journeyed together …

By Christine Rousselle Washington D.C., Dec 16, 2019 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- A new analysis from the Pew Research Center shows that many Catholic priests are holding to Pope Francis’ advice to keep their homilies on the shorter side, especially compared to Protestant denominations. An analysis of nearly 50,000 sermons, …

By Mary Farrow Washington D.C., Dec 17, 2019 / 03:06 am (CNA).- It all started with a Twitter rant. A single Catholic in D.C. (CNA’s Christine Rousselle, to be exact) sounded off in personal disappointment about a speed dating event that she was attending at a local parish. Per the …

By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Dec 17, 2019 / 04:12 am (CNA).- Pope Francis declared Tuesday that the pontifical secret will no longer apply in cases of accusations and trials involving abuse of minors or vulnerable persons, and in cases of possession of child pornography by clerics. With the instruction …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Nacho Doce, Reuters By Jonathan Luxmoore OXFORD, England (CNS) — Catholic campaigners voiced frustration over a lack of progress at U.N. climate talks in Spain, but vowed to step up demands for firmer international action. "It’s disappointing there’s still a huge gap between what people on the streets …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Katie Rutter By Katie Rutter DAYTON, Ohio (CNS) — Each culture, if not every home, has its own unique rendition of the Nativity. The Christ child may lay on a manger made from materials as diverse as wax, blown glass, yarn, papier-mache and terra cotta. Mary might don …