IMAGE: CNS photo/Debbie Hill By Judith Sudilovsky JERUSALEM (CNS) — On his first pilgrimage to the Holy Land just at the outbreak of the intifada, Franciscan Father Wladyslaw Brzezinski was awed by the quiet contemplation with which a fellow friar was able to pray under a sprawling sabra cactus in …

IMAGE: CNS By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Canadian authorities did not request the extradition of a Vatican diplomat who has been charged by police in Canada of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography, a Vatican spokesman said. “No request for extradition has come from Canada and no trial …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As the church marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, promoting it as a means of teaching the truth about faith remains a challenge and a priority. Since its publication in 1992, …

IMAGE: CNS/Nancy Wiechec By IRVING, Texas (CNS) — The leaders of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, which has its headquarters in the Dallas suburb of Irving, said they “accept and work with the new membership policy of the Boy Scouts of America” to admit girls. “We were informed this …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Overly strict immigration laws do not discourage migration, and more must be done to keep migrant families together, a Vatican representative said. “The migrant family is a crucial component of our globalized world, but in too many countries the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Max Rossi, Reuters By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — No matter how much suffering Christians face in the world, God never forgets those who trust in and serve him, Pope Francis told leaders of Eastern Catholic churches. The courage to “knock at the door” of God’s heart …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Chicago Catholic By Joyce Duriga CHICAGO (CNS) — When the relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina — commonly known as Padre Pio — stopped at two Chicago churches, more than 19,000 people turned out to venerate them, organizers said. The relics, which included a lock of …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden The death penalty, no matter how it is carried out, “is, in itself, contrary to the Gospel,” Pope Francis said. Marking the 25th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church at the Vatican Oct. 11, Pope Francis said the catechism’s discussion of the …

By Matthew Fowler VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ @Pontifex Twitter accounts reached more than 40 million followers just a few months before the fifth anniversary of when Pope Benedict XVI launched the initiative. The papal Twitter accounts, in nine different languages, have grown by over 9 million followers in …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians are never pessimistic, resigned or weak, thinking life is an unstoppable train careening out of control, Pope Francis said. Throughout history, every day is seen as a gift from God and “every morning is a blank page that Christians …