Catholic News Service

Archbishop Franco Coppola, papal ambassador to Mexico, recently traveled to a town besieged by warring drug cartels to reiterate the church's commitment to serving populations suffering violence.

The priesthood "is not a career, it is a service," Pope Francis told nine men just before ordaining them to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rome.

Catholic hospital directors in India told Catholic News Service they did not have enough facilities to treat patients as India set records for the number of COVID-19 deaths — numbers many people believe were underreported.

Celebrating his name day, the feast of St. George, Pope Francis was serenaded by hundreds of Rome's most vulnerable residents and the people who assist them.

Thomas Sternberg, 69, president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, announced April 23 he will not seek reelection to the post in November.

Jesuit Refugee Service has started a program for migrants and asylum-seekers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The program — "Caminar Contigo" or Walk With You — aims to provide psychological support as rules for seeking asylum remain uncertain.

President Joe Biden's plan to withdraw U.S. armed forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, while welcome, is leading observers to renew concerns about human rights and the basic needs of civilians.

Because prayer is a dialogue with God, people should not dismiss or be embarrassed by saying their prayers out loud or in a whisper, Pope Francis said.

The principal message of an April 15 Georgetown University webinar on immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border: Don't believe everything you hear from politicians. Because more often than not, no one pays close attention to the reality of border issues, and repeat the same old talking points.

To express the closeness of God and of the church to every older person, Pope Francis has chosen "I am with you always" from the Gospel of Matthew as the theme for the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

The head of the Irish bishops' conference said the government's move to criminalize attendance at Mass as part of COVID-19 regulations was a "potential infringement of religious freedom and of constitutional rights."

Cardinal Sebastian Koto Khoarai, the first and only cardinal from Lesotho, died April 17 at the age of 91 in Mazenod, Lesotho.

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner presided over a farewell Mass to the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, April 15, two days after Pope Francis accepted the bishop's resignation from pastoral governance of the northeast Minnesota diocese.

Catholic laypeople in the Archdiocese of Cologne have called for a local synod to address the ongoing crisis in Germany's most populous diocese.

Greeting visitors in St. Peter's Square after nearly a month of tight restrictions due to the pandemic, Pope Francis said he was happy to see people allowed to gather and be present for Sunday noonday prayer.

Christians and Muslims share a conviction that God calls them to be "witnesses, restorers and builders of hope" both in this life and for the life to come, said the leaders of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Lai, 73, has donated millions of dollars to Catholic causes and has been the biggest financial backer of Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, retired archbishop of Hong Kong. He was among nine activists in court April 16 who earlier were found guilty of charges relating to pro-democracy demonstrations in the Chinese territory.

Recent decisions by leading financial institutions and the world's leading economies to ease the debt burden of the world's poorest nations will help those countries respond to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the executive director of Jubilee USA said.

California's Catholic bishops "remain committed to the complete resumption of indoor worship in a responsible and safe manner," said an April 13 statement.

In a video message sent April 15 to the general assembly of the Brazilian bishops' conference, the Pope Francis encouraged the bishops to give hope and charity "especially to those most in need so that they may smile again."