A Texas judge ruled Dec. 7 in favor of a pregnant mother who sued the state to seek an exemption to its abortion ban after she argued that continuing with her pregnancy would endanger her life and future fertility.

As the world celebrated International Volunteer Day Dec. 5, Grazyna Slawinska, a young Polish volunteer who left her comfortable job to aid people with disabilities in Ukraine, was in eastern Ukraine to spend another December in the war-torn nation.

While at first glance an interest in magic or even the occult might look like just harmless fun, Catholics should be aware of what the church teaches about such things and the real dangers associated with what Pope Francis often refers to as “bad spirits.”

At The Catholic University of America to discuss the need for a diverse and welcoming church, Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory fielded a wide range of audience questions while also reflecting on his own faith journey from childhood.

Archbishop George Leo Thomas of Las Vegas said he is “holding close” those affected by a mass shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus.

Telling Syro-Malabar Catholics in India’s Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly that he does not want to see anyone excommunicated, Pope Francis pleaded with the priests and faithful to end their dispute over the way the Eucharist is celebrated.

Catholic oratories and youth groups that provide after-school activities, religious education and a place for children and teens to gather should be loud, joyful places that help form good Catholics and good citizens, Pope Francis said.

The Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, located just 1,500 steps from the birthplace of Christ, is confronting significant challenges amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip 45 miles away.

Religious movements within the Catholic Church must advocate for peace and unity in the world at large and within their communities, Pope Francis said.

The peaceful means of diplomacy must be used to seek global solutions to the serious injustices that cause so many conflicts in the world, Pope Francis said.