By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis “snuck” out of the Vatican Aug. 9 for a drive, a walk in the woods and lunch with an Italian bishop at a small convent. Long after the pope had returned … Continue reading →

IMAGE: CNS photo/Toru Hanai, Reuters By Lise Alves RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — Glued to the improvised screen set up on the patio of the Caritas house, the refugees yelled and they cried. But most of all, they cheered. They … Continue reading →

IMAGE: CNS photo/Max Rossi, Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God’s mercy is infectious and must be shared with others, Pope Francis said. Mercy is “a journey that departs from the heart to arrive at the hands,” the … Continue reading →

IMAGE: CNS photo/Stephanie Lecocq, EPA By Dale Gavlak AINKAWA, Iraq (CNS) — Iraqi Christians appear divided about whether they will be able to return home after Islamic State militants are flushed out of the battle-scarred Ninevah Plains region. They say … Continue reading →

IMAGE: CNS photo/Piyal Adhikary, EPA By Saadia Azim KOLKATA, India (CNS) — A group of young independent photographers are busy clicking away, taking photos of the “City of Joy.” Their photos, part of the crowdsourced “Sainthood Project,” will be displayed … Continue reading →

IMAGE: CNS photo/Leslie E. Kossoff By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — Practicing patience can be a great virtue, said Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry of Chicago in his homily at the Aug. 7 closing Mass of the African National Eucharistic … Continue reading →

IMAGE: CNS photo/www.thesatanictemple.com By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) — It’s 3 p.m. Do you know where your children are? Parents, schools and school districts are paying even closer attention to after-school activities ever since a group called the Satanic Temple … Continue reading →

By Michael Kelly DUBLIN (CNS) — Bishop Edward Daly of Derry, known for his tireless advocacy for peace and reconciliation during decades of sectarian tension in Northern Ireland, died in a hospital in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Aug. 8. Bishop Daly, … Continue reading →

By Tom Tracy WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — With a growing number of U.S. travelers returning from abroad with the Zika virus and with several cases of Zika-related microcephaly and birth defects reported in the U.S., the disease has … Continue reading →

IMAGE: CNS photo/Kai Pfaffenbach, Reuters By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a personal message addressed to each of the 10 members of the new Refugee Olympic Team, Pope Francis wished them success in their events and thanked them … Continue reading →