Gathered with Pope Francis, members of the Synod of Bishops on the family issued a message of solidarity, support and prayers for all families suffering the impact of war and violence, especially in Iraq and Syria.The members prayed particularly for those who, "because of the Christian faith th

The "freedom of expression" that characterized preparations for the Synod of Bishops on the family—especially in responses to a Vatican questionnaire—"will also characterize the synod assembly, which certainly will take place in a climate of respect for every position, mut

Force alone cannot stop it, custodian of the Holy Land says

As Ukrainians prepared to mark their Aug. 24 Independence Day under the cloud of fierce fighting in the East, Catholic leaders condemned the threat to Ukraine's territorial integrity and prayed for a speedy end to the hostilities.At the same time, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop

For World Peace Day Message: a focus on a persistent global problem

Pope Francis, in mourning for the deaths of his nephew's wife and two small children, thanked people at his weekly general audience Aug. 20 for their prayers.After each of the priests who translate the pope's words offered him condolences for the tragedy that struck his family, Pope Francis

Church teaches duty to intervene—with force, if necessary—to prevent genocide.

Pope asks for international action to help Iraq's Christians

After nine years of study and consultation, Vatican says it stays put, but urges education.

The president of Caritas Internationalis suggested Israeli and Hamas leaders pick up a pair of binoculars so they could see that "most of your victims are innocent people." Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, president of the Vatican-based umbrella organization for