IMAGE: CNS photo/Jose Luis Gonzalez, Reuters By WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Trump administration announced the U.S. departments of Justice and Homeland Security are adopting an interim "third country rule" requiring immigrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border to first apply for refugee status in another country. News that the rule …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Dalia Khamissy By Doreen Abi Raad BEIRUT (CNS) — The first time a band of Islamic State militants "visited" the monks, they presented the monks with a kind of suggestion, in a nonthreatening manner: "Why don’t you become a Muslim?" Already, the four monks at the ancient Syriac …

IMAGE: CNS photo/ICE, Charles Reed via Reuters By Julie Asher WASHINGTON (CNS) — Many Catholic and other faith leaders noted that the Gospel reading for July 14 — the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was to carry out deportation orders for some immigrants — was the parable of the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/David Mercado, Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Praying that Catholics would understand and act on "the inseparable bond" between love of God and love of neighbor, Pope Francis again appealed for a solution to the crisis in Venezuela. "We pray that the Lord will inspire …

IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Chris Cugini, Living Bread Radio By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholics hear hymns in church, but hardly ever on the radio. Now they can augment their weekly diet of hymnody through a new audio web streaming service called Great Catholic Music. The service launched March 1, …

IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Chilean Presidency via Reuters By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As the Catholic Church in Chile continues to deal with the fallout of clerical sexual abuse and its cover-up, the Chilean government passed a law removing the statute of limitations on sex abuse crimes against …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — The papal vicar for Rome has asked every pastor in the diocese to form a "pastoral team" of about a dozen "courageous explorers" to help launch a new neighborhood missionary outreach. "Don’t go looking for those who have shown they …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Gina Christian, catholicphilly.com By Gina Christian PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — The laity can lead the way in renewing a church wounded by the decades-long sexual abuse scandal, according to Meghan Cokeley, director of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office for the New Evangelization. Prayer, redemptive suffering, forgiveness and a deeper …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters By Elizabeth Bachmann WASHINGTON (CNS) — As the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit considers the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the Catholic Health Association voiced its support for the act, declaring access to health care a basic human right. CHA is …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Michael Brown, Catholic Outlook By Michael Brown TUCSON, Ariz. (CNS) — Catholic Community Services in the Tucson Diocese has reached a tentative agreement with Pima County to turn an unused juvenile detention facility into a temporary shelter for asylum-seekers. The agency, which is the human services arm of …