By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — European experts on preventing financial crimes praised the Vatican for significant steps in establishing laws and procedures in line with international protocols, but called for “real results” in cracking down on infractions and prosecuting offenses. Moneyval — the Council of Europe’s Committee of …

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Francis has appointed Father James P. Powers, a priest of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, and currently its administrator, to be bishop of the diocese. The appointment was announced Dec. 15 in Washington by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the U.S. A native of …

IMAGE: CNS By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Creationism vs. evolution, scientific method vs. ethics, science vs. faith, the church’s censure and rehabilitation of Galileo Galilei. For centuries, there have been countless confusion and arguments pitting science against faith as if they were two opposing forces. In the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Arshad Arbab, EPA By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis called for abolishing the death penalty worldwide, lifting the burden of debt on poor nations, global aid policies that respect life and revamped laws that welcome and integrate migrants. He urged individuals, communities and nations to …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Reuters By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will visit some of the most marginalized communities in Mexico and seek to bring hope to a country deeply suffering from crime, corruption and inequality when he visits in February. The Vatican announced Dec. 12 details about the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Jim West By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — To help appreciate and better promote the vocation of religious brothers, the Vatican released a 50-page reflection on the importance of their life and mission of evangelization, fraternity and sacrifice. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the opening the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Pope Francis declared that the time for tenderness, joy and forgiveness had begun. As holy doors around the world were opened at city cathedrals, major churches and …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) –- On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Francis announced that he would travel to the Marian shrine in Mexico City and pray to Mary so that Christian communities “may become oases and rivers of mercy.” “To ask …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — When President Barack Obama signed the sweeping bipartisan legislation Every Student Succeeds Act Dec. 10, he described it as a “Christmas miracle.” “This is an early Christmas present. After more than 10 years, members of Congress from both parties …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Michel Euler, pool via EPA By James Martone PARIS (CNS) — Faith-based groups presented French President Francois Hollande with 1.8 million signatures of people seeking a fair climate change agreement that would stop global warming and protect the poor, reported religious groups in Paris for the U.N. climate …