In the year 1400, a young man came to the door of the largest hospital in Siena. A plague was raging through the city so horrible that as many as twenty people died each day just in the hospital alone. And many of the people who died were those who were needed to tend the ill. It was a desperate situation -- more and more people were falling ill and fewer and fewer people were there to help them. The twenty-year-old man who stood there had not come because he was ill but because he wanted ...

From the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego, historian Bernardo Groschopp reflects on how climate change, shifting wildlife and political borders are reshaping Indigenous communities – and why their environmental knowledge matters.

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During their three-day meeting in Guam, the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences in Oceania focuses on modern slavery and migration, formation, pastoral care, globalization, and social injustices.

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As he greets Armenian Catholicos Aram I at the weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV invites everyone to pray for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East.

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During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reflects on Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 'Sacrosanctum Concilium,' underscoring that "the liturgy sustains the faithful" and that every Eucharistic Celebration becomes "a true epiphany of the Church in prayer."

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WASHINGTON – Following the shooting at the San Diego Islamic Center yesterday, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed sorrow at the senseless violence and assured the Muslim community of prayerful solidarity.

Archbishop Coakley’s full statement follows:

“On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I extend our profound sorrow and prayerful solidarity following the tragic shooting at the San Diego Islamic Center. We stand with Chief Imam Taha Hassane, the entire Muslim community, and all who mourn in the wake of this senseless violence, affirming our shared commitment to the dignity of every human life and the rejection of hatred in all its forms. 

“In moments such as these, we are reminded of the call to be instruments of peace; as Pope Leo XIV has said, ‘Where violence wounds the human family, compassion and unity must be our steadfast reply.’ May God console the grieving, strengthen the injured, and guide us all toward greater understanding, justice, and peace.”

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In an address to authorities, religious leaders, and all people, the Bishop of Tombura Yambio County in South Sudan, Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, calls on people of all backgrounds to "revive the culture of respectful conversation, reconciliation, and unity."

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At a European Parliament awards ceremony, Cardinal Pietro Parolin conveyed Pope Leo XIV’s call for renewed efforts to safeguard peace amid rising global tensions.

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When the father of this Italian saint died, his good mother brought up her twelve children well, even though they were very poor. "Oh, if I could only have the joy of seeing one of you become a saint!" she use to say. Once when she asked as usual, "which one of you is going to become a saint?" little Peter (who was to become Pope Celestine) answered with all his heart, "Me, mama! I'll become a saint!" And he did. When he was twenty, Peter became a hermit and ...

Kampala. The Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) has called on Catholics nationwide to observe the Solemnity of the Uganda Martyrs on June 3 through prayer services and Masses in their local parishes and dioceses, following the government’s decision to postpone the national celebrations at Namugongo due to Ebola-related concerns.

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