VATICAN – Priests must give hope to men and women seeking forgiveness, encouraging them in their struggle away from the slippery slope of sin, Pope Francis said.

Once a missionary, always a missionary. It didn’t matter whether bedridden with illness or looking off into retirement, Msgr. Philip J. Kennedy kept Canada’s mission territories close to his heart.

QUEBEC CITY – The Catholic bishops of Quebec have discussed the possibility of ordaining married men to priesthood.

VATICAN – If Jesus and his truth are to become truly present in today's world, priests must do what Jesus did and be "street preachers," going out to encounter and accompany sinners with tenderness and compassion, Pope Francis told the world's priests.

BROOKYLN, N.Y. – A priest who served a number of parishes in Brooklyn and moved back to Colombia four years ago to retire was brutally murdered there March 10.

EDMONTON – Of all the sacraments, confession often appears to be the most intimidating, and most people tend to avoid it — sometimes for years, says Fr. Roger Niedzielski.

Does the Church belong to women? Can the Church be led by women? From a young woman’s perspective, those questions have already been answered.

EDMONTON – Alberta’s Catholic community is mourning a giant character in its storied history following the death of retired Archbishop Joseph MacNeil, a humble disciple with a unique ability to remember names, faces and details of the lives of thousands of people.

During Lent, well-trained Catholic minds turn to thoughts of confession.

VATICAN – A truly pastoral minister never leaves people to suffer on their own or to become a victim to their own errors and confusion, Pope Francis told members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Men and women contemplating a vocation to the priesthood, consecrated life or marriage should not be afraid because God wants only for them to experience the joy that comes from serving others, Pope Francis said.

One of Canada’s most influential and controversial theologians, among the few remaining living links to the Second Vatican Council, has died.

EDINBURGH, Scotland – Twelve men are set to be ordained priests in Scotland this year, a 20-year high that Catholic leaders credited to prayers and other work to encourage vocations.

DUBLIN, Ireland – Besides a shortage of vocations, Irish priests are facing an even more harrowing kind of crisis.