WASHINGTON – Before Pope Benedict XVI headed to a prayer service with the U.S. bishops April 16, he had a series of brief encounters with an extremely small group of people both inside the Vatican nunciature and outside it.Read More

WASHINGTON – For the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and President George W. Bush was a proud day for Americans.Read More

WASHINGTON – Here is the text of the remarks by Chicago Cardinal Francis E. George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, to Pope Benedict XVI on behalf of the bishops at their meeting at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception April 16.Read More

WASHINGTON – One of the “countersigns to the Gospel of life” in the United States is the sexual abuse of minors, a situation “that causes deep shame,” Pope Benedict XVI told about 300 U.S. bishops gathered April 16 in the crypt church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.Read More

It is always surprising to hear there are still people defending our invasion of Iraq and the continued occupation. It is not surprising that the selective use of Scripture is used to defend the invasion and occupation. Scripture is often used whatever the merits of the action or cause being defended. It is fruitless to...Read More

BLACKSBURG, Va. – By noon on April 16, 2007, Bryan Schamus, a member of the Newman Community at Virginia Tech, knew that at least 22 people had been killed on campus. He quickly gathered with other student leaders of the university’s Catholic campus ministry to figure out how to respond to the tragedy, which would...Read More

No red carpet led to the Embassy banquet room of glittery Martin’s West, nor were there zoom lenses slung around the necks of paparazzi as they strained to see who stepped out of the line of limos. Neither television cameras nor famous actors were anywhere in sight.Read More

NEW YORK – The tightest of security surrounded the meals being prepared for Pope Benedict XVI during his April 15-20 U.S. visit. Even the menus were being kept secret.Read More