North America’s largest Catholic church is now complete. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC took 100 years from the first turn of the spade until the dome was complete. After the Crypt Church was finished in 1931, construction on the Upper Church began. This halted during the Great Depression Read more
The Temporary Protection Status (TPS) the United States granted Haitian people after an earthquake devastated the island nation in 2010 has been removed. About 200,000 people died in the 7.0 magnitude quake which displaced over a million others. Removing the TPS will affect between 50,000 and 60,000 people who sought refuge in the United States Read more
There is a major role for faith-based groups to help create a nuclear weapon-free world, Nobel Prize winners said at a nuclear disarmament summit at the Vatican last week. They suggested faith groups could use their ability to mobilise people and public opinion, and lay out the moral and spiritual case for disarmament. The Nobel Read more
“We need to open the dialogue” to reduce tensions between North Korea and the United States, says Stephen Colecchi. Colecchi is the director of the U.S. bishops’ Office of International Justice and Peace. He was one of three panelists at a Georgetown University forum discussing the issue. “The only way to open up the relationship Read more
Anti-Catholicism has been called “the last acceptable prejudice.” Tragically, it was on display at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett, nominated to be a federal appellate judge. Barrett, a professor at Notre Dame Law School, is a constitutional law expert who has clerked for appellate and Supreme Court judges. She is Read more
The Vatican’s former representative to the United Nations says Pope Francis is closely following the situation between the United States and North Korea. The two countries are trading insults, with North Korea threatening to send four missiles into the sea off Guam, as a response to President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric. “The only way forth Read more
Religious groups are reacting strongly to President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. The United States is now one of three nations – the others are Syria and Nicaragua – not committed to the voluntary restrictions outlined in the agreement. Many worry about the effect Trump’s Read more
A survey of 444 newly ordained priests in the United States shows they were closely connected to the church when they were growing up. The survey run by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University shows most of the new priests went to Catholic schools. Family example is another important factor Read more
The first US martyr, Father Stanley Rother from the Oklahoma City diocese, has been recognised by Pope Francis. He was murdered in 1981 in a Guatemalan village where he ministered to the poor. Read more
At least 25 Catholic groups joined nongovernmental organizations in condemning the murder of Honduran environmental activist Berta Caceres, calling for a change in U.S. policy toward assistance in the region. In an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the organizations demanded a proper investigation into a crime that has captured international attention Read more