News/International

People stand in front of an altar Oct. 30 with food offerings during a protest for the 43 missing students of the Ayotzinapa Teacher Training College Raul Isidro Burgos, in Chilpancingo, Mexico. The students disappeared in Iguala on Sept. 26 after they c lashed with police and masked men. Security forces have combed the area around Iguala in search of the students, whose disappearance has sparked massive protest marches in Mexico.

Mexican bishops call violence a 'national crisis'

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MEXICO CITY - The Mexican bishops' conference issued an impassioned plea for peace and an end to the bloodshed in a country consumed with the crisis of 43 teacher trainees allegedly captured by crooked cops, killed by organized crime and burned.

Catholic, Muslim forum urges dialogue, condemns violence, persecution

Catholic, Muslim forum urges dialogue, condemns violence, persecution

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VATICAN CITY - Gathering at "a time of severe tension and conflict," particularly in the Middle East, 24 Catholic and Muslim leaders and scholars urged dialogue to promote greater respect and understanding and condemned all acts of violence committed in the name of religion.

Israeli Border Police patrol the the site in Jerusalem's Old City known as Haram al-Sharif by Muslims and that Jews refer to as the Temple Mount Nov. 6. Recent tensions at the site, which is important to the faith life of Jews and Muslims, led the Counci l of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land to call for calm, saying that attachments to holy places should not be a cause of bloodshed, hatred or violence.

Activists intent on building third Jewish temple spark tensions at holy site

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JERUSALEM - It’s a site holy to both Jews and Muslims — considered the most religiously sensitive square kilometre on the planet.

People gather to chat in a neighborhood of Tacloban, Philippines, Nov. 7. Resolving interpersonal conflicts has been a key component to recovery since Typhoon Haiyan ravaged their community.

After Philippine typhoon, neighbors pulled together to rebuild lives

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TACLOBAN, Philippines - In the past year since Typhoon Haiyan tore through the central Philippines, small personal conflicts were ironed out as people pulled together to rebuild their lives.

A blind boy stands outside his makeshift shelter in Islamabad. Pope Francis urged world leaders at G-20 to focus on helping the poor and “not to forget that many lives are at stake.”

Pope urges G-20 focus on helping the poor, says 'lives are at stake'

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VATICAN CITY - As world leaders prepared to meet in Australia to continue looking at ways to improve the global economy, Pope Francis asked them "not to forget that many lives are at stake" behind their discussions and decisions.

People sit on the East Side Gallery and watch a circus performance in Berlin Nov. 9. The president of the German bishops' conference praised Catholics who helped bring down the Berlin Wall, but also urged the church to look ahead to its future mission.

German church commemorates 25th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall

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WARSAW, Poland - The president of the German bishops' conference praised Catholics who helped bring down the Berlin Wall, but also urged the church to look ahead to its future mission.

Rickson Yesar lays block for a new house on Jinamoc Island, an island near Tacloban, Leyete, Oct. 22. Hundreds of thousands of survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines Nov. 8, 2013, continue to live in tent camps or substandard h ousing, waiting for the construction of new homes.

Filipinos continue to mourn loss of family, homes a year after typhoon

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TACLOBAN, Philippines - The sun was fierce over the field of dried grass and clumps of earth marked with 3,000 small white crosses. Priests in white vestments walked along the rows of graves, sprinkling streams of holy water from plastic bottles.

A woman celebrates as she awaits the release of balloons into the sky along the former path of the Berlin Wall in Berlin Nov. 9. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Pope Francis said the sudden end to the division of Europe was prepared by the prayers and sacrifice of many people, including St. John Paul II.

Pope hails role of St. John Paul in Berlin Wall's fall

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VATICAN CITY - Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Pope Francis said the sudden end to the division of Europe was prepared by the prayers and sacrifice of many people, including St. John Paul II.

Counselors, teachers and volunteers with Catholic Relief Service are being trained to help refugee children in Syria process their trauma through the use of puppets such as these.

When puppets meet Syrian refugees, healing begins for children

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BEIRUT - Syrian children who have seen their houses bombed and family members killed are using string, glue, socks, beads and other odds and ends to help put their lives back together.

Bishop David R. Choby

Backers of Tennessee abortion measure credit prayer, Church support for passage

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Supporters of Amendment 1 said the measure to restore Tennessee lawmakers' authority to regulate abortion passed Nov. 4 because of the backing by Catholic and other religious leaders and their churches.

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, Nigeria, president of the Nigerian bishops' conference, speaks in Manchester, England, Nov. 6 on his country's Ebola efforts and contrasting with its lack of aggression in addressing Islamic extremism.

Archbishop says Nigeria must find political will to stop Islamist militants

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MANCHESTER, England - The president of the Nigerian bishops' conference said his country's government could defeat the Boko Haram Islamist militant group if it could muster the same political will it found to fight Ebola.

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