Judge blocks religious exemption to birth control coverage; Little Sisters of the Poor to appeal August 14, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News A federal district court in Philadelphia Aug. 13 struck down a religious conscience rule implemented by the first Trump administration exempting employers with religious or moral concerns from having to provide their employees with insurance coverage for contraceptives and other drugs or procedures to which they have an objection.
Catholic University of America Press to publish Pope Leo’s dissertation August 14, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV’s dissertation — which he defended in 1987 for his doctoral degree in canon law — will soon be widely available through The Catholic University of America Press in Washington.
Pope says he hopes Trump-Putin meeting leads to ceasefire in Ukraine August 13, 2025By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, War in Ukraine, World News Arriving in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV told reporters he hoped U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin can find a way to reach a ceasefire in Russia’s war on Ukraine when they meet in Alaska.
Sisters of Life ‘are the very mirror of God,’ cardinal says as 3 take perpetual vows August 13, 2025By Steven Schwankert OSV News Filed Under: Consecrated Life, News, Vocations, World News The Sisters of Life took their perpetual vows Aug. 6 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, surrounded by more than 1,800 clergy, religious sisters and brothers, family members and friends.
For Gazans, the deep silence of hunger has replaced noise of daily life August 13, 2025By Diaa Ostaz OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Disaster Relief, Feature, News, World News The streets of Gaza are quieter than they used to be — not because peace has returned. The deep silence of hunger has replaced the noise of daily life.
Hope is knowing God is always ready to forgive, pope says at audience August 13, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News God never gives up on anyone, even when the person betrays God’s love, Pope Leo XIV said.
Report: Christian church attacks down, but recent totals still higher than 2018-2022 August 13, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News Attacks on Christian churches in the U.S. last year totaled 415 — down from 485 in 2023 — although they are “significantly higher” than totals recorded from 2018 to 2022, according to a new report from the Washington-based Family Research Council.
Petition filed at Supreme Court seeks overturn of landmark same-sex marriage ruling August 12, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Supreme Court, World News About a decade after the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, overturning state laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, the justices have been directly asked to overturn the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Head of Spanish political party criticizes Catholic Church’s defense of Muslim community August 12, 2025By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, News, World News The Spanish bishops’ conference was criticized by the head of Spain’s far-right VOX party after the church expressed religious concerns following a local council’s measure that would effectively ban Muslims from holding religious events in certain areas.
At 80th anniversary Mass in Nagasaki, people urged to bring Christ’s love, peace to world August 12, 2025By Mark Zimmermann OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, World News Japanese Catholics were joined by four U.S. prelates — two cardinals and two archbishops — and by Catholic university leaders and students from the United States who were participating in a “Pilgrimage of Peace” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombings and to pray together for peace and for a world without nuclear weapons.
Trump federalizes DC police force, says homeless encampments will be removed August 12, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Social Justice, World News President Donald Trump said Aug. 11 he will place the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department “under direct federal control,” activate the National Guard, and “get rid of the slums” in what he called an effort to combat crime in Washington.
Statue of Confederate general known as anti-Catholic to be reinstalled in nation’s capital August 12, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Racial Justice, Religious Freedom, World News The National Park Service announced Aug. 4 that it will restore and reinstall a statue of a senior Confederate officer in the nation’s capital that was toppled during riots following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
