KYIV, Ukraine (CNS) — As Russia’s war on Ukraine drags on and joint funerals are held for the soldiers who die, Catholic military chaplains say they still see faith, hope and humanity in the soldiers with whom they minister. “It is a very special vocation to be a man of God among those who are […]

Saying “superficial” marriage preparation programs leave many couples at risk of having invalid marriages or unprepared to cope with the struggles that arise in every marriage, Pope Francis endorsed suggestions for a yearlong “marriage catechumenate” drafted by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life.

People have a responsibility to care for the elderly and cherish their wisdom rather than regard them as a burden on society, Pope Francis said.

New York Ukrainian Catholics and other worshippers found community and solace June 11 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral where Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Archbishop Borys Gudziak, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, led an evening memorial prayer service for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

The bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, invited Catholics June 13 “to pray for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, their families and all those who accompany survivors in the path toward healing, that they experience Christ’s profound love for them and God’s healing grace.”

The war in Ukraine is now one of several regional wars that “for years have taken a heavy toll of death and destruction,” the pope said in the message dated June 13, the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of the poor.

The son of Ruth E. Whitfield, the oldest victim of the racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store, told a rally in Washington June 11 that the nation needs to “lower” its weapons and “replace the hate.”

Twenty countries from the Americas, including the United States, signed a declaration June 10, the last day of the troubled Summit of the Americas, committing to help and protect “all migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, and stateless persons, regardless of their migratory status.”

Evangelization is the mission and joy of the church, Pope Francis told members of the Missionaries of Africa.

Beatifying 10 Polish nuns killed by Russian soldiers at the end of World War II, it is difficult not to think of the suffering being endured by the people of Ukraine today and the need for peace in the world, said Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for Saints’ Causes.