News/International

Pope Francis speaks during his general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Feb. 23, 2022.

Pope Francis phones Ukrainian archbishop, offers encouragement, prayers

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ROME -- As Russian troops approached Ukraine's capital, Pope Francis phoned the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, offering his encouragement and promising, "I will do everything I can" to help.

Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, Ukraine, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, speaks to reporters at the Vatican in this Jan. 26, 2018, file photo.

Ukrainian archbishop assures people that God is with them

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KYIV, Ukraine (CNS) -- As Russia fired missiles on several Ukrainian cities and Russian troops reportedly landed in Odessa, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church affirmed the right of Ukrainians to defend their homeland and assured his people that God would watch over them.

Vern Stuewe, 90, of Corvallis, Ore., poses for a photo Jan. 21 next to his prototype of a mobile shelter for the homeless. He has spent a year designing the sturdy and inexpensive living quarters.

Oregon inventor, 90, turns his genius to homeless shelters

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PORTLAND, Ore. -- In a sturdy homemade woodshop amid filbert orchards not far from the Willamette River, the gears of 90-year-old Vern Stuewe’s mind crank all day.

A police officer stops Mass at St. Bernadette’s Church in a suburb of Perth, Australia, Feb. 3 to make sure parishioners were wearing protective masks.

Vaccine mandate tensions creep into Church

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A parishioner in Australia captured the moment when police interrupted Mass to demand that five people who were not wearing face masks comply with the law.

Insignificant asteroid still something to ponder, Jesuit says

Insignificant asteroid still something to ponder, Jesuit says

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A rock nearly five billion kilometres from Earth circling the Sun in a long ellipse once every 300 years might not be breaking news, but Jesuit astronomer Fr. Richard Boyle believes it’s worth thinking about.

Christians are pictured in a file photo taking part in a protest in Chandigarh, India, against the killings of Christians in Orissa and Karnataka states. Prominent Indian citizens, including Christians, have demanded a repeal of all anti-conversion laws in the country, saying they are used to target minorities.

Prominent Indians seek end to anti-conversion laws

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NEW DELHI -- Prominent Indian citizens, including Christians, have demanded a repeal of all anti-conversion laws in the country, reported ucanews.com.

Bishop Thomas R. Zinkula of Davenport, Iowa, and Patrick Schmadeke, diocesan director of evangelization, have a conversation Jan. 28, 2022, about the "58,000 Cups of Coffee Initiative." It is "a deep and thorough listening" process involving diocesan Catholics as part of local preparations for the church's 2023 world Synod of Bishops on synodality.

Coffee, conversation, Catholic communion

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DAVENPORT, Iowa. -- An idea began brewing in Patrick Schmadeke’s head as he listened to an interview with Xavière Missionary Sr. Nathalie Becquart on the Synod of Bishops in 2023.

Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory delivers a Zoom address Feb. 3 on “Race and the Catholic Church” during a Black History Month event.

Reject racism, live how Creator intended: cardinal

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WASHINGTON -- People must “reject all forms of racism, bigotry and injustice” and recognize “we are each made by God and are deserving of respect and dignity because of just that,” said Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory.

Bendictine Sister Philippa Rath and theologian Agnes Wuckelt, deputy federal president of the Catholic Women's Association of Germany, talk during a break at the third Synodal Assembly in Frankfurt Feb. 4, 2021.

Germany's Synodal Assembly calls for change on deacons, bishops' selection

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FRANKFURT, Germany -- The Synodal Path of the Catholic Church in Germany wants laypeople to be able to participate in choosing bishops and wants the church to have women deacons.

Pope Francis is pictured during an interview with Fabio Fazio on the popular Italian talk show, "Che Tempo Che Fa," in this screen capture from the Feb. 6, 2022, program televised by the Italian national broadcaster, RAI.

Pope Francis answers questions on popular Italian talk show

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VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis told an Italian interviewer that forgiveness is "a human right."

Men carry the body of Church of Pakistan assistant lay Pastor William Siraj, who was was killed by unknown armed men while on his way home from church in Peshawar, Pakistan, Jan. 30, 2022. One of his traveling companions, Pastor Naeem Patrick, was wounded in the attack.

Pakistani ministers gunned down in brazen attack

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LAHORE, Pakistan -- The daylight attack by motorcycle-riding gunmen on two Church of Pakistan ministers, killing one and wounding another, has reignited fears among Pakistan’s beleaguered minority community.

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