By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Respect for human life from conception until natural death is something children must be taught, not mainly with words, but by the example of their parents, Pope Francis said.

By Mason Beecroft Catholic News Service Members of the Knights on Bikes adamantly make it clear that they are not a “bike gang.” While they proudly wear a vest with a patch, they claim no territory like a traditional motorcycle club. Instead, as an extension of the larger ministry of …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Pope Francis told reporters July 28, “Who am I to judge” a homosexual person, he was emphasizing a part of Catholic teaching often overlooked by the media and misunderstood by many people. In the words of the Catechism of …

By Catholic News Service LEVITTOWN, Penn. — Considering how rapidly the world has changed in the past 100 years, the senior members of families and parish communities have a wealth of memories, which, if shared and preserved, can provide a fascinating and lasting legacy. The American Folklife Center of the …

By Carol Glatz  Catholic News Service Pope Francis has named a new commission to investigate current accounting practices among all Vatican offices and bodies and to help devise new strategies for greater fiscal responsibility and transparency. The new pontifical commission of business and legal experts will “offer technical support” and …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Pope Francis commissioned some 3 million young people to join forces and form what could be called Missionaries Without Borders. “Where does Jesus send us?” he asked World Youth Day pilgrims July 28. “There are no borders, no limits: He sends us to everyone.” …

By Catholic News Service LEVITTOWN, Pa. (CNS) — Retirees form the core of volunteer programs across the U.S., offering important services especially to the elderly — some of whom are younger than the volunteers. In the Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y., for example, where Donna Nash coordinates Catholic Charities services for …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service From his personal prayer life and spirituality to the role of women in the church and the pastoral care of the divorced, Pope Francis responded to several questions about church teaching and ministry July 28 when he met reporters on his flight from Rio …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service  RIO DE JANEIRO — Krakow, Poland, will be the site of the next World Youth Day, in 2016. Pope Francis made the announcement shortly after celebrating the final Mass of this year’s World Youth Day before a crowd of more than 3 million …

By Catholic News Service The legalization of gay marriage cannot change Christian teaching on sexual morality, and the Catholic Church cannot accept marriages of same-sex couples, the bishops of England and Wales said in a document that was to be distributed in parishes July 27-28. Catholics must “accept their calling” …