WASHINGTON – In response to the Executive Orders that are expected to be signed today by President Trump, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs: “The bishops’ conference will be carefully reviewing the executive orders that are expected to be signed…
WASHINGTON – Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and has appointed Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, as his successor. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis told U.S. President Donald Trump he hoped that the nation would prosper under his leadership and make no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion. The pope offered his “cordial greetings and the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom, strength and protection in the exercise…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While many people around the world seek a blessing for their animals around the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, in Italy the traditional date to pray for the protection of one’s pets and livestock is Jan. 17 — the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti,…
WASHINGTON – The negotiations of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and the ongoing release of hostages were commended as an “encouraging sign of peace” by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace. “At the…
WASHINGTON – As the United States commemorates Religious Freedom Day on January 16, the Committee for Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued its annual report on the state of religious freedom in the United States. The report identifies and offers ways that Catholics can respond to five areas of critical concern—both threats…