VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI, meeting the parents of a 4-year-old British girl apparently kidnapped while the family was on vacation in Portugal, blessed a photograph of the little girl and offered his prayers. Kate and Gerry McCann, the Catholic parents of Madeleine, who has been missing since May 3, met the pope at...Read More

MANCHESTER, England – A British court has ruled that the Catholic Church can be held legally liable for the crimes of abusive clergy.Read More

Growing up on the Eastern Shore, Monsignor James P. Farmer, pastor of St. Ursula in Parkville, learned how to fish at age 2 under the watchful eye of family members. Since then fishing and crabbing have been hobbies he thoroughly enjoys, especially when in the company of others. “Fishing forms great friendships and great memories,”...Read More

I read with great interest (CR, Sept. 22) of the 100th anniversary of Blessed Sacrament Parish. My grandparents, William and Mary Ellen Kailer Dunn were founding members of the parish. She directed the choir there for many years; he opened the church for Mass and was a daily attendant for all the years of my...Read More

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI gave his full support to the Italian bishops’ efforts to promote public policies aimed at helping the traditional family. Addressing the annual meeting of the Italian bishops’ conference May 24, Pope Benedict said the bishops’ pro-family initiatives were “in full agreement with the constant teaching of the Apostolic See.”...Read More

As he approached his 80th birthday, Alfred Stracke recalled “the hell” that was Pork Chop Hill, the site of two Korean War infantry battles fought during the spring and summer of 1953 while the U.S. and the Communist Chinese and Koreans were negotiating an armistice.Read More

WASHINGTON – Rep. Chris Smith has called Amnesty International’s new position on abortion “outrageous” and said it creates a “major credibility gap” for the widely respected human rights organization. In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service May 18, the New Jersey Republican said Amnesty’s new position makes it “just another pro-abortion organization.” Amnesty’s claim...Read More

SEVERN – Mike Whittles was coming to terms with the fact that for first time in his head coaching career, he was going to miss an Archbishop Spalding game.Read More