Pope Francis tackled several issues in his new encyclical, but the section devoted to ending capital punishment was particularly cheered by U.S. Catholics who oppose the death penalty.

Invoking Mary’s intercession for the U.S. together as Catholics is imperative for a country beset by multiple crises, said bishops participating a virtual “Rosary for America” Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

People who think politics is sinking to new lows may find comfort in knowing Pope Francis also is concerned about the debasement of what church teaching has described as a “lofty vocation.”

Professing faith in God as the creator of all human beings, or even simply recognizing that all people possess an inherent dignity, has concrete consequences for how people should treat one another and make decisions in politics, economics and social life, Pope Francis wrote.

Holy Cross Father John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Catholic vote and the coronavirus subtly headlined the annual fundraiser of the 75th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner Oct. 1, livestreamed from the Manhattan residence of New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan due to COVID-19.

Meeting new recruits to the Swiss Guard, Pope Francis assured them that God always stands by their side, offering them comfort and consolation.

The tomb of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager who used his computer programming skills to spread devotion to the Eucharist, was opened for veneration before his beatification in Assisi.

After two weeks of communicating through the media, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke face-to-face about China, the topic of a major difference of opinion.

Given her prolific output of written opinions both before and after joining the U.S. Supreme Court, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg left a long legacy of legal thought and analysis for future generations to parse. For many, the abortion debate will loom large in her record.