By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled May 5 that prayers said before town council meetings in Greece, N.Y., do not violate the Constitution. In their 5-4 decision, the judges noted a historical precedent to opening local legislative meetings with a prayer and stressed that …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  ROME — Thanking communications professionals who work for the Catholic Church, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York also shared with them tips he said he learned at the “school of hard knocks.” When facing reporters, he said, “their initial posture often might be …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Canonizing two recent popes in the presence of his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis praised the new Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II as men of courage and mercy, who responded to challenges of their time by modernizing the Catholic …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Just days before Pope Francis was set to canonize two of his predecessors, he expressed his hopes the two soon-to-be saints would continue to inspire the whole church in its mission.

By Navar Watson Catholic News Service  WASHINGTON — A small group of Teresian Carmelites from India are quickly adjusting to their new life in the Diocese of Bismarck, N.D., helping out in the Catholic Indian Mission and teaching at St. Bernard Mission School in Fort Yates.

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — “They call me Holy Father and that is what I must be,” the future St. John XXIII wrote in his diary. A nun who worked in the papal apartments with the future St. John Paul II saw him tired one day …

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service  WASHINGTON — Responding to concerns about Catholic involvement with Girl Scouts, a U.S. bishops’ committee released key points from its dialogue with Girl Scout leaders outlining major concerns of church leaders and the national organization’s responses.

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said the assassination of “my confrere,” a 75-year-old Dutch Jesuit in Syria, “filled me with deep sadness and made me think again of all the people who suffer and are dying in that martyred country.”

By Catholic News Service  WASHINGTON (CNS) — The number of allegations of sexual abuse by clergy declined in 2013 while diocesan spending on child protection programs increased under the U.S. Catholic Church’s “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” according to a church-sponsored audit.

  By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis received U.S. President Barack Obama at the Vatican March 27. In what was their first encounter, the two leaders spoke in private for more than 50 minutes, an extraordinarily long time for such a meeting.