Catholic News Service

The Catholic Church must continue to work to understand the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council and why they were made, rather than rethinking them, Pope Francis said.

The Field Hospital: For three years, Sacred Heart Church in McAllen has used its parish hall as a waystation for asylum seekers.

Fr. William Aitcheson, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, asked forgiveness for having been a member of the Ku Klux Klan years ago as "an impressionable young man."

Catholic priests from the Central African Republic whose villages have been attacked have taken to Facebook to express outrage and appeal for help.

While the world reels from terrorism, natural disasters and division, God weeps with those who suffer and offers the hope of a future full of joy and consolation, Pope Francis said.

A Polish archbishop who inspected Bosnia-Herzegovina's Medjugorje shrine for the pope predicted the Vatican will soon recognize its Marian apparitions.

Bishop Francis DiLorenzo of Richmond died at St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond late Aug. 17 from heart and kidney failure. He was 75.

Nations must expand options that make it possible for migrants and refugees fleeing violence, poverty and persecution to cross their borders safely and legally, Pope Francis said.

People from all across the country came to Hopkinsville, Kentucky — aka, "Eclipseville" — for a chance to see the celestial event.

A total solar eclipse is a rare event, something to appreciate and enjoy in the mind of Jesuit Br. Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory.

Catholic Church leaders in Bolivia are opposing a controversial new law, signed by President Evo Morales, that strips protection from a national park and indigenous territory.

Conflict and drought are threatening more than 20 million people in four countries with the prospect of famine, and the U.N. has called this the largest humanitarian crisis since the world body was formed.

Countries such as the U.S., the United Kingdom and Canada have pledged large sums of money to assist countries facing severe food emergencies, but a gap exists between pledged aid and the amount of aid collected.

Thousands attended a midday vigil Aug. 18 in Barcelona's Plaza de Catalunya, attended by Spanish King Felipe VI and government and political party leaders from across the country. 

Iceland is on its way to "eliminate" people with Down syndrome, causing uproar in the pro-life community over the high numbers of abortions following prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

How long viewers will see the moon covering the sun depends on where they will be on its coast-to-coast path. Some may only see it for a few seconds, others for a couple of minutes.

Church leaders from Oceania, meeting in New Zealand to discuss protecting the oceans, also served meals to the homeless and met with Pacific Islander high school students.

Fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life is the "biggest challenge" for the Catholic Church in China, said Passionist Fr. Robert Carbonneau, executive director of the U.S. Catholic China Bureau.

Pope Francis did not change church teaching on the rules for receiving Communion, but rather assured people who are in difficult situations that the church cares for them and the mercy of God extends to them, a Nigerian cardinal said.

One of America's smallest parishes is uniquely situated inside one of its greatest natural wonders.