VATICAN CITY – The world’s wealth and resources do not belong to a select few, they also belong to the poor, Pope Benedict XVI said as he urged people to aid the needy and protect the environment. “Christ is present even in the poor so they must never be insulted,” abused or deemed worthless, the...Read More

SEOUL, South Korea – As 19 South Korean hostages returned safely to their country, Catholic and Protestant church leaders said it was time to reflect on overseas missions and service. “I welcome the release of all hostages and thank all who made great effort(s) to save their lives in and outside Korea. But I cannot...Read More

JERUSALEM – The United States has a responsibility to play a vital role in restarting Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ international policy committee. “We have a certain responsibility. By not being engaged at this level it will certainly involve us in ways we do not want to be involved in (later),”...Read More

BOISE, Idaho – Bishop Michael P. Driscoll of Boise urged Idahoans to pray and support Sen. Larry Craig and his family Sept. 1, hours after the senator announced that he was resigning his post. “Seeing his family and friends behind him, I could not help but feel compassion for this man who has served the...Read More

NEW ORLEANS – With an intense thunderstorm providing eerie sound effects, Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans told hundreds gathered at St. Louis Cathedral Aug. 29 in commemoration of the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to persevere in their faith despite the pitfalls of a painfully slow recovery.Read More

APPLETON, Wis. – A Catholic schoolteacher who claimed she was illegally fired in 2004 for undergoing in vitro fertilization treatments dropped her discrimination suit Aug. 27 following a settlement in which the terms were not disclosed.Read More

PITTSBURGH – At age 95, Joseph Martinelli is a regular at daily Mass at St. Colman Parish in Turtle Creek. In the parish bulletin he’s listed as pastoral assistant, just hinting at the many roles he fills.Read More

VATICAN CITY – The sky was no longer the limit when a Rome travel agency started offering specially chartered flights exclusively for globe-trotting pilgrims.Read More