VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has rejected a request by the German Bishops’ Conference to allow lay faithful, in exceptional circumstances, to preach the homily during the celebration of the Eucharist. The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments communicated the decision in a letter dated June 17 addressed to Bishop Heiner…

Catholic bishops across the United Kingdom say they need to see more legislative detail before supporting government proposals to ban social media for youth under 16. On June 15, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology Liz Kendall announced to the House of Commons that the government “will ban social media companies providing their…

Cambodia’s Buddhist leadership has conferred a high honorary title on the Catholic bishop of Phnom Penh, recognizing decades of cooperation between Buddhist and Christian communities in a country where the Catholic Church remains a small minority. Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, received the title “Akka Mahāupāsakabuddhasāsanūpatthambhakr,” roughly translated as “Elder Great Lay…

Christians and rights advocates in Pakistan have welcomed the acquittal of a blind Catholic man who spent nearly 10 months in jail on a blasphemy charge carrying a mandatory death sentence. A sessions court in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, on June 22 cleared 49-year-old Nadeem Masih, who is blind by birth, of charges…

Widows have a place of privilege and special care in the Judeo-Christian tradition, according to biblical texts. On International Widows’ Day, annually observed on June 23, the Church has the opportunity to honor these women who, throughout the ages, have meaningfully supported their families and communities after the loss of their spouses. Widows in Scripture…

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami and bishops across Ohio are calling for extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living in the United States and are urging a more permanent solution to care for refugees. In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation, H.R. 1689, that would extend TPS for Haitians for three more…