Religion News Service

By tracing what events the media describe as “apocalyptic,” we can gain insight into our changing fears about potential catastrophes. 

Asked about student protests on college campuses, Bishop John Stowe said he appreciated their 'interest in the situation and their solidarity with the Palestinians' but stressed the need to act peacefully.

We have to persevere for peace and have hope because the alternative is too terrible to imagine, writes Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese.

Tackling matters that are the topic of political debates today, the new Vatican document Dignitas Infinita, or "Infinite Dignity," drew more controversy than intended.

The only way to kill the papal court is to stop making Vatican officials bishops and cardinals, says Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese.

"Issues related to racism are now being fiercely debated across the country, and many people of color are fearful that racism is getting worse," reads their statement.

‘The Sound of Silence’ version of the ‘Our Father’ has been widespread throughout Latin America and U.S. Latino communities for the last few decades.

Water purifies and blesses in every religion. But it is more than a symbol: Clean water is a conduit of care and love.

In political, academic and ecclesial life, expressing uncertainty is the equivalent of committing professional suicide.

'I know there are plenty of people out there who believe animals have no souls,’ said Giuliano. ‘And I cannot accept one of God’s creation is, spiritually, the equivalent of a cup of ice cream.'

Theologian Richard Hays' reversal comes at a bad time for those who oppose accepting LGBTQ Christians.

Two things struck Fr. Tom Reese while reading Dignitas Infinita: its new standard for transparency about how it was written, and its emphasis on how long the church has taught on threats to human dignity. 

For decades the Catholic Worker movement has served meals at its two soup kitchens at Maryhouse and St. Joseph House in Manhattan’s East Village, feeding hungry New Yorkers from the thousands of pounds of fresh produce the workers grew at a farm in upstate New York named for the movement’s co-founder, Peter Maurin.

The bishops have urged more support for mothers and families, even as Ascension, one of the largest Catholic health care providers in the U.S., has been closing labor and delivery units at its hospitals. 

Katie Pruitt, a queer singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee, writes music that, with agile vocals and catchy guitar riffs, explores the fraught nature of leaving one’s childhood faith.

Streaming the Eucharist online for the world to watch or broadcasting it on television is an abomination, writes Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese. It is akin to showing video of people eating a meal to people who are starving.

"There's the sense that the liberal order is so corrupt that elite Catholics have to find positions of influence and use them in a kind of noble and appropriate way," says scholar Kevin Vallier.

"The Christian celebration of Easter is about new life, yet the world's consciousness remains flooded with ideas of death," writes Phyllis Zagano. That includes war and famine, plus euthanasia and abortion, she writes. 

In recent months, Catholic Charities staffers across the country have experienced increased smears and threats by critics opposed to offering aid to immigrants. 

The pope has always stressed that the synod is about synodality, not about controversial issues. He believes the church must become synodal before it can deal with these issues.