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July 9, 2015
LA PAZ, Bolivia - Praising Bolivia's efforts to include all its citizens in the country's economic, political and social life, Pope Francis also defended the record and the right of the Catholic Church to be an active member of society and the right of the bishops to comment on public issues.
La Paz, Bolivia - Pope Francis shook his head no and told Bolivia's president, "this is not okay," after being presented with a “communist crucifix” — a carving of Christ crucified on the hammer of a hammer and sickle.
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia - The Eucharist is a missionary sacrament; it calls people to give all they are and have to God, seek His blessing and then take His love to the world, Pope Francis said at the opening Mass for Bolivia's national eucharistic congress.
July 10, 2015
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia - Fernando Fernande brought toilet paper, soap and food to the Palmasola prison, where his son has been locked up for the past two years.
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia - Meeting with an international gathering of grassroots activists, Pope Francis not only encouraged, but tried to add fuel to their fire for "standing up to an idolatrous (economic) system which excludes, debases and kills."
July 11, 2015
Most of today’s American Catholic parents don’t go to Mass, provide any Catholic education for their children or stress the basic sacraments beyond baptism.
ASUNCION, Paraguay - Arriving in Paraguay July 10, Pope Francis paid tribute to the historic visit to the country made in 1988 by St. John Paul II, a visit many people saw as contributing to the end of one of the world's longest military dictatorships.
July 12, 2015
INDIANAPOLIS - The First Church of Cannabis filed a lawsuit against the state of Indiana and city of Indianapolis, challenging state laws on possession and use of marijuana as infringing upon religious beliefs.
CAACUPE, Paraguay - Pope Francis was as close to home as he has been since becoming pope in March 2013 as he celebrated Mass at Paraguay's popular shrine of Our Lady of Miracles of Caacupe.
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July 13, 2015
VATICAN CITY - Vatican magistrates have decided to postpone the proceedings of a criminal trial against a former Vatican nuncio due to the defendant's ill health.
TORONTO - The 200-year tradition of Basilian education is taking a new path into the future — a path first walked by the disciples Jesus sent out two-by-two to connect with the villages of Galilee and change the world.
ASUNCION, Paraguay - Pope Francis returned to his roots July 12 when he visited Banado Norte, a poor neighbourhood near the Paraguay River where residents battle seasonal flooding and face possible eviction.
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM PARAGUAY - Before arriving in the United States in September, Pope Francis said, he will study American criticisms of his critiques of the global economy and finance.
Ontario's Catholic teachers have signalled that they are ready to strike just before school is set to resume in September.
MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines tackled climate change on different fronts and also addressed a host of other issues, from equitable education to sovereign disputes at its biannual plenary session July 6-13.
July 14, 2015
HOT SPRINGS, North Carolina - As she prepared for her mission — scaling the nine-metre flagpole outside the South Carolina Statehouse to bring down the Confederate flag — Bree Newsome reread the biblical story of David and Goliath.
NEW ORLEANS - While the annual number of abortions in the U.S. has dropped from a high of 1.6 million in 1990 to about 1.06 million today, the number of chemical abortions through the use of RU-486 has increased and now represents about 25 per cent of all abortions.
VATICAN CITY - The Holy See welcomed Iran's historic nuclear deal and expressed hopes that more future breakthroughs be on the horizon on other issues.
The Little Sisters of the Poor — nuns who have refused to comply with the Affordable Care Act contraception mandate — lost their latest court case July 14.