News & Commentary

St. John Paul II addresses a press conference with President Jimmy Carter in the Rose Garden at the White House Oct. 6, 1979.

Jimmy Carter, first president to host a pope at the White House, dies at 100

Former President Jimmy Carter died Dec. 29 at his home in Plains, Georgia, his presidential library announced. At 100, Carter, who had been in hospice care since February 2023, was the longest-living U.S. president.
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Conversations on racism are key to change, says speaker

The annual Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice, the largest Catholic social justice gathering in the United States, is known for dispensing sharp opinions.
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Transcript shows pope’s distinction between gay marriage, civil unions

When Pope Francis said gay people have a right to be in a family and that gay couples needed some form of civil law to protect their rights, he was not saying that gay couples should have a right to ...
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Pope announces new cardinals, including U.S. Archbishop Gregory

Pope Francis announced he will create 13 new cardinals Nov. 28, including Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Washington.
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HHS ensures hospital patients have access to spiritual care amid pandemic

The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Religious Liberty praised the Department of Health and Human Services for resolving discrimination complaints over two hospitals' refusal to let patients have access to the sacraments of baptism and the anointing of ...
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Pope has history of defending marriage, but being open to some civil unions

Pope Francis often has expressed openness to the idea of laws recognizing civil unions, including for gay couples, to protect their rights.
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Pope, religious leaders pray for peace, greater care for one another

The only way to end war and ensure humanity's survival is "through encounter and negotiation, setting aside our conflicts and pursuing reconciliation, moderating the language of politics and propaganda, and developing true paths of peace," Pope Francis said.
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