European Politics

SYDNEY -- The High Court of Australia has decided to give Cardinal George Pell, 78, a final chance to argue against his conviction on five counts of child sexual abuse.

HONG KONG -- A bishop is calling on the Hong Kong government to set up an independent inquiry into the death of a student during the latest pro-democracy riots.

MEXICO CITY -- Bolivia's bishops called for calm after the country's president resigned suddenly in the face of swelling street protests over accusations of electoral fraud. They also insisted the departure of President Evo Morales "is not a coup," even though the military had urged him to step aside.

ROME -- No one is so far from God that Christ cannot bring them back, Pope Francis told members of the Diocese of Rome's new pastoral teams responsible for outreach.

VATICAN CITY -- Giving the Ratzinger prize to a philosopher from Canada and a Scripture scholar from Burkina Faso, Pope Francis said they demonstrate that "in the variety of cultures, diverse across time and space, one can and should always seek the way to God and the encounter with Christ."

VATICAN CITY -- An economic system lacking any ethics leads to a "throwaway" culture of consumption and waste, Pope Francis said.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 17 (Year C) Malachi 4:1-2; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19

The wicked and arrogant will be burned up with fire! 

What motherhood means ought to be obvious. We all have mothers. We all know mothers. Some of us are mothers. What is there to explain?

OTTAWA -- Canadian churches and refugee advocates want a federal court to declare an agreement with the United States null and void, saying it is putting refugees seeking asylum in Canada at risk because the U.S. is not a safe country for them.

The Bride and I recently had a return visit with the doctor who specializes in memory problems. New tests had been done, and we were about to receive the results.