A steep decline in Catholic marriages in the U.S. over the past few decades is underscoring the need for “proactive” marriage support in the Church. Data obtained by EWTN News from the Official Catholic Directory shows a major drop-off in U.S. Catholic marriage, from about 267,000 in the year 2000 to just 111,718 in 2024,…
Ahead of general elections scheduled for next month, Catholic bishops in Thailand have urged all citizens to elect worthy candidates. “Let this election be proof of our love for God and our neighbors,” said Archbishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana of Bangkok, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, in a pastoral letter dated Jan….
In a significant development, government forces this week have taken control of large areas in northeast Syria’s Al-Jazeera region after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew following a surprise attack, while the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli remained outside of this advance. With Damascus announcing its resolve to regain control of these cities, Christians living…
The relationship between the Vatican and the U.S. Catholic bishops is not as contentious as people might think, according to Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who offered insights into his role as papal nuncio to the U.S. since 2016 during an interview with “EWTN News In-Depth” ahead of his 80th birthday. The French-born prelate described the past…
Archbishop Paul Coakley said immigration remains a “very high priority” for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In a Jan. 30 interview with “EWTN News In Depth,” Coakley discussed “the unrest taking place in our cities, particularly in Minneapolis and the violent outbreak,” following the recent death of Alex Pretti, the man shot…
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news. Pregnant students’ rights act stalls in Senate A bill that would ensure pregnant college students are informed of their rights failed to pass in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The bill stalled after passing in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. The Pregnant Students’…
When Pope Leo XIV warned diplomats this month that families face “progressive institutional marginalization” in global policy, he described a crisis that Eastern European leaders are confronting with particular urgency. At a Jan. 14 conference in Lithuania’s Parliament, experts and policymakers from across the region gathered to address what many called an existential demographic challenge…
Iraq’s Christian communities are openly expressing concern about a renewed threat from the Islamic State (ISIS) — especially in light of recent developments in Syrian territory along the Iraq border and the transfer of thousands of ISIS detainees from prisons in northeastern Syria to what the Iraqi government describes as a “safe site” in Iraq…
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday voiced “great concern” over news of rising tensions between Cuba and the United States of America, urging leaders to pursue “sincere and effective” dialogue to avoid violence and further suffering for the Cuban people. His appeal, delivered after he recited the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace, came after Donald Trump’s…
About 350,000 people have registered to venerate the relics of St. Francis of Assisi — the first public display of the bodily remains of the beloved saint. From Feb. 22 to March 22, the Lower Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi will welcome pilgrims from around the world who will come to the Italian city…
