Analysis: Israel’s war on Hamas raises significant moral concerns as Gaza death toll soars January 4, 2024By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News With more than 22,100 deaths and 57,000 injured as reported by Jan. 2 by Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the question is being asked: Can Israel’s conflict conduct be considered a “just war” under the Catholic understanding of the concept?
Unions racked up major 2023 wins for family-wage jobs in multiple sectors, setting stage for 2024 January 1, 2024By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Social Justice, World News In the past 12 months, an extraordinary level of nationwide activity — organizing, strikes, negotiations and new contracts — has signaled increased influence for American labor unions, which once counted 21 million U.S. workers among their ranks.
Catholic experts say rule to let franchise employees join unions would be major labor advance December 26, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Social Justice, World News If a new federal labor ruling goes into effect in late February, millions of franchise employees and contractors will find it easier to form or join unions
Catholic climate activists concerned COP28’s modest steps will fall short December 22, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Environment, Feature, News, World News Catholic climate advocates — responding to the urgent call of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudate Deum” (“Praise God”) for immediate and extraordinary changes to avert a climate crisis — are concerned that COP28’s outcomes, while promising, may become “too little, too late” if nations do not muster the resolve to implement them.
Analysis: U.S. Catholics’ priest shortage faces new ‘serious crisis’ due to immigration law December 18, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Immigration and Migration, News, Vocations, World News In a particularly unwelcome revelation for American Catholics, the federal government announced that same month in a Federal Register notice a procedural change in how it processes green cards for foreign-born religious workers.
Catholic leaders, White House officials talk climate change as COP28 nears November 25, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Environment, Feature, News, World News A group of delegates, including three U.S. Catholic bishops and the head of a conference of women religious, met with Biden administration officials Nov. 17 to discuss the Catholic Church’s priorities for what Pope Francis has called “our suffering planet.”
Big wins for UAW, SAG-AFTRA could spur more workers to join unions November 18, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews, News, World News What many experts called a “hot labor summer” — punctuated by coast-to-coast strikes and negotiations — may yet transition into a toasty labor autumn that witnesses gains for other job sectors, too.
UAW deal with ‘Big Three’ automakers secures major win for family-wage jobs November 2, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Social Justice, World News The United Auto Workers labor strike against the “Big Three” car producers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, whose 14 automotive brands include Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep — has ended with a series of contracts experts say emphasizes the importance of unions in Catholic social teaching, especially for achieving family wages through collective action.
Synod process shows church still working to make the ideal real when including people with disabilities October 28, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, World News Those with disabilities typically don’t want sympathy or charity. They want to belong, just like every other parishioner.
With formation, prayer, fraternity, Knights’ Cor initiative aims to strengthen Catholic men’s faith October 27, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Knights of Columbus, Men, News, World News Dubbed “Cor” — Latin for “heart” — the initiative is designed, its website says, “to form and strengthen Catholic men in faith and virtue as missionary disciples by drawing them into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, formation, and fraternity.”
Survey: Catholics aware of church’s social teaching but hear little on it in parishes, dioceses October 25, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Social Justice, World News Catholic social teaching has widely been described as “the church’s best kept secret.” A recent report indicates that may still be the case, and that efforts to spread it may be thwarted by a reduction in diocesan positions dedicated to social action.
For synod, questions around women’s diaconate run right through the priesthood October 4, 2023By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Synodality, Vatican, World News As the Synod on Synodality opened Oct. 4 in Rome, among the most closely watched topics under discussion is the question of whether the Catholic Church can or will extend the permanent diaconate — restored after the Second Vatican Council — to women.
