IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn By Colleen Dulle WASHINGTON (CNS) — Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, renowned for his ecumenical efforts, addressed a Washington gathering of Catholic and Lutheran leaders striving for unity. Cardinal Koch’s speech took place May 30 at “The 500th Anniversary of Martin Luther’s Posting of the Ninety-Five Theses …

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will not visit South Sudan in October with Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury as he had hoped, the Vatican spokesman said. Greg Burke, the spokesman, told reporters May 30 the trip “was not for this year.” With the civil war …

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians are called to be “sowers of hope,” consoling and defending the poor and anyone in need, Pope Francis said. As Christians prepared to celebrate Pentecost June 4, Pope Francis used his weekly general audience May 31 to speak about the power of …

IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Best family By Ed Langlois PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) — On a crowded Portland commuter train May 26, a selfless Catholic father of four stepped forward to calm a tense situation. He was that kind of guy. Rick Best defended two women being accosted by a passenger yelling …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ very public friendship with and overtures to Pentecostal and evangelical leaders is a high-profile reflection of a relationship that already existed at the grass roots between Catholic charismatics and some of their Spirit-filled neighbors, leaders of the renewal …

By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Never speak, act or make a decision without first listening to the Holy Spirit, who moves, troubles and inspires the heart, Pope Francis advised. A cold and calculating heart that is closed to the Holy Spirit results in a faith that is “ideological,” …

IMAGE: CNS/Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he asked Pope Francis to help Canadians “move forward on a real reconciliation” with the country’s indigenous people “by issuing an apology” on behalf of the Catholic Church for its role in harming their communities. …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Giorgio Perottino, Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Condemning an economy that encourages speculation more than entrepreneurship, warning priests and religious that they share responsibility for the vocations crisis and telling young people they are right to be puzzled by nations that close their doors to …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Reuters By CAIRO (CNS) — Christians in Egypt “are getting to this idea that we could be a martyr at any moment,” the spokesman for the nation’s Catholic bishops told Catholic News Service. The spokesman, Father Rafic Greiche, also lamented the number of children …

IMAGE: EPA By Rhina Guidos WASHINGTON (CNS) — Worried about the fate of some of their students, more than 65 college presidents representing U.S. Catholic institutions asked for a meeting with the Secretary of Homeland Security to talk about immigration policy. “As leaders of Catholic colleges and universities, we are …