Surviving cancer won’t bring an appointment to the International Theological Commission. Neither will it matter that you’ve been married forever and surrounded yourself with seven children and nine grandchildren. Volunteering at your parish for everything from the Catholic Women’s League to marriage preparation courses is nice, but it won’t make you part of an elite body of 30 Catholic theologians who advise the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the pope himself. 

There is a perception, which has widened in the last 40 years, that Catholic higher education is no longer compatible with the modern university. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education charged denominational colleges and universities should be refused accreditation for “systematically undermining… skeptical and unfettered inquiry” and “the primacy of reason.” 

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis called for abolition of the death penalty as well as life imprisonment, and denounced what he called a "penal populism" that promises to solve society's problems by punishing crime instead of pursuing social justice.

Pope Francis sought a “sincere and open” discussion among Church leaders attending the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family. Well, he got it. And then some.

VATICAN CITY - The Middle East, especially Iraq and Syria, are experiencing "terrorism of previously unimaginable proportions" in which the perpetrators seem to have absolutely no regard for the value of human life, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY - Beatifying Blessed Paul VI at the concluding Mass of the Synod of Bishops on the family, Pope Francis praised the late pope as the "great helmsman" of the Second Vatican Council and founder of the synod, as well as a "humble and prophetic witness of love for Christ and his church."

More than 190 bishops and 60 experts have begun a worldwide conversation about how we live our lives, how we love, how all we are and hope to be continues from generation to generation, from hope to glory, from heart to heart. Now, the bishops say, it’s over to you. 

VATICAN CITY - Despite worries about the impact of millions of tourists on Michelangelo’s precious frescoes, the Sistine Chapel is opening its doors for the first time to a new kind of tourist to support Pope Francis’ charities.

VATICAN CITY - Providing food aid to people in need is not enough to eradicate world hunger, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY - At a Mass of thanksgiving for the canonization of Canada’s two newest saints, Pope Francis said missionaries do enormous good for the Church by bringing God’s love to the far corners of the Earth and by keeping the Church healthy and fruitful.

VATICAN CITY - Missionaries do enormous good for the world and the church by bringing God's love to the far corners of the earth and by keeping the church healthy and fruitful, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY - A married couple from Brazil told Pope Francis and the Synod of Bishops that the Church should stop giving "contradictory advice" on birth control and help Catholics obey Church teaching against contraception.

In cases of unprovoked violence the use of reasonable force may be justified to stop an aggressor.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis is tipped to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, according to some of the world’s leading bookmakers.

VATICAN CITY - A papal commission on child protection will be expanding its nine-member panel to include more experts and another survivor of clerical abuse.