WASHINGTON - Benedict Zama looked out from her table and Pope Francis was coming toward her moments after he arrived at the St. Maria's Meal program of Catholic Charities of the Washington Archdiocese.

WASHINGTON - "We can find no social or moral justification, no justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing," Pope Francis told an audience of about 200 clients of Catholic Charities gathered at St. Patrick Church.

WASHINGTON - With extreme poverty having been cut in half over the last generation — and the Millennium Development Goals target of poverty halving having been achieved five years ahead of the 2015 deadline — veterans of the global war on poverty believe it is possible that extreme poverty can be wiped out in the next 15 years.

TORONTO - Before marking an X on a ballot Catholic voters should pencil in a grade on a report card for candidates in the Ontario provincial election.

WASHINGTON - As victims continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy, several dioceses and Catholic charities are still asking for support for the affected areas.