Religion News Service

"Latinos are poised to be leaders in their communities and nationally on environmental issues," said one panelist at this week's Latino Leader Gathering sponsored by Georgetown’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.

Bullying the liberal Catholic magazine Commonweal "smacks of the sort of 'conservatism' Pope Francis recently called 'suicidal' on CBS's "60 Minutes," writes Phyllis Zagano.

We commit grave harm against ourselves through environmental destruction and we go against God's plan for us.

In Norah O'Donnell's TV interview, the pope "smiled, he gestured, he laughed, his eyes sparkled," Thomas Reese writes. CBS "has given the American people a unique opportunity to see the pope as he is, unfiltered."

Dozens of church leaders have been kidnapped or killed by government soldiers or rebel fighters in the decade since the civil war began.

While they emphasized their resolve and hope, advocates for women deacons also expressed surprise and dismay at the interview. 

The proclamation comes just two weeks after the priest who founded Homeboy Industries received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden.

"You’ve got to deal with us, because God has called us into this church," Brother Christian Matson said. "It’s not your church to kick us out of — this is God’s church, and God has called us and engrafted us into it."

The Archdiocese of Baltimore's plan to close about two-thirds of parishes in the city of Baltimore drew blistering criticism at a recent public forum.

Excommunication, writes Thomas Reese, is "like being denied entry into a friend's home because you did something to upset them. You need to apologize before you are going to be welcomed back."

‘We need to work together if we are to end gender-based violence. We need to involve the government, NGOs, parents, community leaders, women and girls,’ said one evangelist.

The overlooked religious middle is poised to play an outsized role in the 2024 presidential contest.

By tracing what events the media describe as “apocalyptic,” we can gain insight into our changing fears about potential catastrophes. 

Asked about student protests on college campuses, Bishop John Stowe said he appreciated their 'interest in the situation and their solidarity with the Palestinians' but stressed the need to act peacefully.

We have to persevere for peace and have hope because the alternative is too terrible to imagine, writes Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese.

Tackling matters that are the topic of political debates today, the new Vatican document Dignitas Infinita, or "Infinite Dignity," drew more controversy than intended.

The only way to kill the papal court is to stop making Vatican officials bishops and cardinals, says Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese.

"Issues related to racism are now being fiercely debated across the country, and many people of color are fearful that racism is getting worse," reads their statement.

‘The Sound of Silence’ version of the ‘Our Father’ has been widespread throughout Latin America and U.S. Latino communities for the last few decades.

Water purifies and blesses in every religion. But it is more than a symbol: Clean water is a conduit of care and love.