Catholics

The closing ceremony of the Second Vatican Council in St. Peter Square on Dec. 9, 1965. Forty bishops pledged to forsake worldly goods, but the agreement was largely ignored. Pope Francis' emphasis on helping the poor has revived talk about the Pact of th

Pope Francis' Emphasis On Poverty Revives The 'Pact of The Catacombs'

4:43am November 26, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

Fifty years ago, 40 bishops signed a pledge to make Catholicism a church for the poor. It was soon set aside, but with Pope Francis focused on the downtrodden, that notion could be revived.

Seminarians attend a theology class at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake at Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Ill.

At U.S. Seminaries, A Rise In Millennials Answering God's Call

6:47am October 20, 2015

by Maureen Pao

The Catholic Church in the U.S. has been aging, along with its dwindling priestly ranks. But in the increasingly secular world, there's been a recent uptick in younger men studying to become priests.

The Rev. Joseph Trinh, the senior priest at St. Helena, meets with the liturgy and decorations committee planning a Mass for Vietnamese Catholics during Pope Francis' visits to the city later this month.

Built By Immigrants, U.S. Catholic Churches Bolstered By Them Once Again

6:40am October 20, 2015

by Tom Gjelten

About 40 percent of U.S. Catholics are foreign-born or the children of immigrants. The change is having profound effects, from reviving dying parishes to shifting the church's geographical center.

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Comic Jim Gaffigan On Stand-Up, Faith And Opening For The Pope

4:50pm September 24, 2015

On Saturday, Gaffigan will perform for an audience that may include Pope Francis. A practicing Catholic, the comic says faith is a central part of his humor.

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The teeth and mandibles of four male skeletons unearthed in Jamestown, Virginia, now reside in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian's museum of natural history. Researchers believe they've now puzzled out the identities of the men: high-status leaders fro

Bones In Church Ruins Likely The Remains Of Early Jamestown's Elite

7:22pm July 29, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

Scientists say remains of four men exhumed from what was once an Anglican church suggest they were well-nourished, "high-status" leaders in the early 17th century colony. And one was likely Catholic.

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Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald is one of the Catholic Church's top experts on Islam. He has served the Vatican in places such as Tunisia, Uganda and Egypt, and now is promoting interfaith understanding by teaching Jesuit students in Cleveland about the Qur

Learning About The Quran ... From A Catholic Archbishop

3:11pm April 30, 2015

by Tom Gjelten

As a young priest, Michael Fitzgerald studied Islam and served the Vatican in Muslim countries. Devoted to promoting Catholic-Muslim understanding, he's now teaching Jesuit students about the Quran.

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Pope Francis delivers his message during a meeting with cardinals and bishops of the Curia at the Vatican on Monday. The pope said the Curia suffered from

Pope Francis, At Christmas Gathering, Blasts Vatican's Bureaucrats

1:14pm December 22, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

He accused the Curia, which oversees the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, of "spiritual Alzheimer's" and careerism. Francis has made reforming the Vatican a major part of his agenda.

Faithful hold candles during a vigil prayer in preparation for the synod on the family on Oct. 4, at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

In 'Season Of Mercy,' Will Vatican Rethink Communion For Divorcees?

9:58am October 09, 2014

by Sylvia Poggioli

Pope Francis hasn't ruled out changing church doctrine that bars divorced and remarried Catholics from receiving Holy Communion. There are fierce opponents, while others favor simplifying annulment.

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Bishop Blase Cupich will replace Cardinal Francis George as the new archbishop of Chicago. He's seen here in 2011, presenting a Church study on clergy sex abuse.

Pope Names A Moderate To Be Chicago's New Archbishop

2:11pm September 20, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Wash., to succeed Cardinal Francis George, 77, a conservative who has spoken out on many social issues in his 17 years in the post.