ROME – Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, strongly defended Pope Pius XII’s wartime actions and said he had coordinated church efforts that saved the lives of many Jews. Cardinal Bertone spoke Jan. 24 at the presentation of the Italian translation of the book “The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust,” by...Read More

The generation gap appeared to be closed in the cafeteria of West Baltimore’s Seton Keough High School as senior citizens and teenagers from four area Catholic schools boogied together on the dance floor to legends like Elvis Presley and James Brown. “I feel good honey,” growled Catherine Gallagher, a resident of St. Joachim House on...Read More

MEXICO CITY – A Mexican bishop is bucking Vatican orders to erase a phrase in his pastoral plan that notes the desire among his indigenous communities that married permanent deacons be ordained priests. The phrase is not fanning the hopes of a married priesthood, but simply reporting the feelings of many indigenous Catholics, said Bishop...Read More

As half the nation eagerly awaits the kickoff of the Super Bowl, the other half looks on in wonderment at what could be so enthralling about grown men running up and down a field carrying an oblong ball. Football fans who cannot articulate why they feel such passion for the game may retreat to their...Read More

Brian and Laurie Henderson have a simple rule when it comes to divvying up household chores: if one doesn’t like a certain task, the other will take care of it. After 17 years of marriage, it’s worked so well that the parishioners of St. John in Westminster are convinced their commitment to domestic decorum has...Read More

VATICAN CITY – The death of an Italian muscular dystrophy patient who had his respirator disconnected is fueling a complex and significant discussion among top church officials. Piergiorgio Welby, who was paralyzed and kept alive by a breathing machine for nine years, pleaded for months for the device to be turned off. He said medical...Read More

WASHINGTON – The previous Congress never got to vote on a full-scale rewrite of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Some in the Republican-run House had hoped for a vote during the post-election lame-duck session, but the shift of power to the Democrats scuttled that possibility. Now, with Democrats in charge, what could a new telecommunications bill...Read More

PHILADELPHIA – The priorities of the U.S. bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities today are “the priorities we’ve had for years, along with new challenges to life, “ said Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who is now chairman of the committee. “We are simply trying to be faithful defenders of life at this juncture in the...Read More