An annual collection for the Catholic Church in nations once under Soviet control is “ever more urgent,” especially as Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine enters its fourth year — and as the church still works to rebuild in nations scarred by decades of communism, said Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of Salina, Kan.

The Chicago-based Catholic Extension Society has learned a thing or two over the years about the importance of sacred spaces.

The head of the Tuscan Bishops’ Conference said the passage of a new law in Italy allowing medically assisted suicide was “not an achievement, but a defeat for everyone.”

Prayers and fasting, eucharistic adoration and getting back to the basics of the Catholic faith are some of the ways the laity can encourage priestly and religious vocations in 2025.

Catholics cannot confine their faith to the liturgy but must fully engage and dialogue with the culture that surrounds them, said the cardinal responsible for the church’s engagement with the world of culture.

After suffering from bronchitis for more than a week and having obvious difficulty breathing, the 88-year-old Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital Feb. 14.

The U.S. bishops’ migration chair called recent comments by Vice President JD Vance about the church’s work with migrants “a tremendous mischaracterization” while speaking at an event in the nation’s capital Feb. 12. But he also invited Vance to sit down and talk with him to set the record straight.

As the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine approaches Feb. 24, the Knights of Columbus called for prayers ” for hope for Ukraine” and launched a novena Feb. 15 to pray for widows, youth, orphans, veterans and all those affected by the full-scale Russian invasion.

Ongoing uncertainty about funding from the National Institutes of Health could imperil medical research at academic institutions all over the country, including Catholic institutions, multiple sources told OSV News.

Catholic Charities agencies provide essential services, such as food, clothing and a place to sleep, as part of how the church puts the Gospel mandate from Jesus Christ into action.