SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO, Italy – St. Padre Pio's devotion to the Eucharist, the hours he spent in the confessional and his concrete care for the sick make him a model all priests should try to imitate, Pope Benedict XVI said.Read More

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A “hierarchy of values” exists, which means not all political issues are of equal value, said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn. “Our faith must inform our political decisions,” he said, and Catholic voters are obliged to distinguish “between moral evil,” such as abortion, “and matters of prudential judgment,” such as tuition tax...Read More

WASHINGTON – Although nearly three-quarters of American Catholics say they are somewhat or very familiar with church teachings on marriage, many mistakenly believe that a non-Catholic spouse must promise to raise the couple’s children as Catholic and that church teaching accepts divorce in cases of marital infidelity.Read More

WASHINGTON – Hundreds of artifacts, including letters from 12th-century popes and religious artwork, have been returned to Italy after spending decades in a home near Chicago, FBI spokesman Ross Rice said in a June 8 statement.Read More

VATICAN CITY – With the global financial crisis and the increased desperation of the poor, human trafficking appears to be on the increase and the International Union of Superiors General is committed to extending its networks to fight the problem.Read More

There’s an interesting transformation that happens in stores right after the Christmas holidays. As the sights and sounds of Christmas disappear, suddenly store shelves are filled with Valentine’s decorations, candies and gifts.Read More

NEW ORLEANS –The St. Peter Claver seventh-grade students were studying heredity and genetics when U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings dropped in for a visit Jan. 31. Teacher Rachel Pleis was using M&M candies in different colors to emphasize her points.Read More

FRIEDBERG, Germany – Like spring in many dioceses, spring in the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services is confirmation season. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien packed his bags in late March and was to spend the next two months confirming the children of military personnel – and a few soldiers and sailors – stationed in Germany,...Read More