WASHINGTON – Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly of Louisville, Ky., and named Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Knoxville, Tenn., to succeed him. The changes were announced June 12 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Kelly, a Dominican who turns 76 on July 14,...Read More

LONDON – A British cardinal said Muslims should join Catholics in fighting for “genuine religious freedom.”Read More

As part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s ongoing efforts to promote a safe environment for children, the Office of Child and Youth Protection met with parish youth contacts June 6 at Church of the Resurrection, Ellicott City, to discuss youth protection policies.Read More

ROME – U.S. President George W. Bush praised the Catholic lay Community of Sant’Egidio for being part of an “international army of compassion” that helps the poor.Read More

Father Bernard S. Bak, one of the first permanent deacons ordained in the United States who later became a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, died in his Dundalk home June 8. He was 85. A funeral Mass was offered June 11 at St. Casimir in Canton, the parish in which Father Bak grew up...Read More

About 15 percent of children living in the United States between the ages of 10 and 18 can be classified as obese, said Dr. Robert Ancona, the head of pediatrics at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson.Read More

UPDATED VATICAN CITY - Meeting for the first time, Pope Benedict XVI and U.S. President George W. Bush spoke about the precarious situation of Christians in Iraq and a wide range of other foreign policy and moral issues. The pope and president looked relaxed as they greeted each other and spoke briefly before reporters before...Read More

VATICAN CITY – More than two years into his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has proven to be a very patient decision-maker – so patient that even some of his Vatican bureaucrats are chafing a little.Read More