News/International

Pope Benedict XVI’s biographer revealed that the late pontiff for years suffered from insomnia and exhaustion, which ultimately led him to resign from the papacy.

Mosque suicide bombing targets police, dozens dead

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Dozens of people, mostly police and security forces, were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in northeastern Pakistan.

Pope Francis arrives in Congo after praying on flight for migrants

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After flying across the equator, Pope Francis was welcomed warmly -- in every sense -- to Congo where Catholics make up the majority of the population and where, for decades, the Catholic Church has been at the forefront of efforts to bring peace, education and health care to the people.

Christian quarter targeted as Jerusalem spirals into weekend of violence

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Following a rampage of a radical Jewish gang in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City on the evening of Jan. 26, the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land called on political and religious authorities to bring civil and religious life in Jerusalem back to "greater serenity.

Hopes high Pope’s African visit will clear path to peace

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Braving a volatile political and security situation, Pope Francis embarks on a long-anticipated journey of unity and reconciliation to two African countries wracked by bitter divisions, warring factions and humanitarian crises seldom on the radar of international power brokers.

Pope Francis: Criticism is annoying, but can be helpful

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Public criticism by cardinals and bishops is annoying -- "like a rash that bothers you a bit," Pope Francis said -- but differences need to be aired and criticism can be helpful, he told the Associated Press.

Ukrainian Catholic leader warns against Orthodox ban

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The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has warned against moves by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government to outlaw Orthodox communities linked to Moscow, and urged his countrymen to "give Russians a chance to repent."

Pope, bishops call for peace as violent protests in Peru turn deadly

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Peru’s bishops pleaded for peace as violent protests against the country’s current president and legislature have claimed the lives of dozens of people.

Tens of thousands turn out for Walk for Life West Coast to speak for unborn

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The first Walk for Life West Coast since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June drew an outsized crowd of tens of thousands of pro-life supporters, apparently undaunted by California's newly approved constitutional amendment removing all restrictions on abortion.

Italian publisher releases book of essays by Pope Benedict

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While the Second Vatican Council gave the Catholic Church a "beautiful" document on the priesthood, "it did not face the fundamental question" of the difference between Catholic and Protestant understandings of ordained ministry, wrote Pope Benedict XVI in an essay published after his death.

Scottish church condemns government's 'gender obsession' after rare reform veto

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A spokesman for Scotland's Catholic Church has welcomed the British government's veto of legislation allowing teenagers to change their legally documented sex via a simple self-declaration, and criticized Scottish politicians' "obsession with gender politics."