We’re finally reading the secrets of Herculaneum’s lost library

Deep within a particle accelerator, theoretical physicist Giorgio Angelotti is hard at work. He sets a black cylinder on a mount, bolts it down, then runs through some safety checks before retreating from the chamber, known as “the hatch”. “You...

Patriarch Pizzaballa: A new language and new witnesses for a narrative of peace

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem reflects on the historical moment in the Holy Land following the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, and affirms: “We have a duty toward our communities — to help them look ahead, positively and serenely,...

Sacrificial love draws woman to Catholic faith

Mike Martinez stands by Sophie Martinez as she is baptized by Bishop Peter Christensen. (Courtesy photo) The seventh annual Sun Valley Tour de Force drew to a close July 20, 2024 under clear skies and ideal racing conditions. The charity event’s...

And we?

We live in confusing times. Sometimes it is hard to know who or what to believe. Jesus warned us that false messiahs and false prophets would appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect. The rise of politicians from...

The Embodying Politic

The work of depoliticization and disempowerment via pathologization in this case is troubled by the similarities between the anorexic and other political self-starvers like the hunger striker. For one, both are figures ever haunted by what Debra...

News Briefs: October 5, 2025

October 4, 2025 // National God’s Love Can Reach Anyone, even at ‘Rock Bottom,’ Pope Says VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When people hit “rock bottom,” they can be confident that God is there ready to rescue and redeem them, Pope Leo XIV said. “No place is...

Pope: AI can never replace the human touch of the doctor

Addressing members of the Latin Ibero-American and Caribbean Medical Confederation Pope Leo XIV highlights the healing power of personal contact and says artificial intelligence can assist but never replace the human presence of doctors. By Linda...

These Massachusetts parents sought religious exemptions to vaccines. We asked them why.

When Bridget Kearns’ kids were younger, she agonized over whether they should get vaccinated. Working as an occupational therapist for children, Kearns had talked with several mothers who believed vaccines were harmful. Kearns, who lives in...

Allegations of sex abuse, misused church dollars against WA priest divide parish

Emily Chapman could feel a pressure rising inside her. In the gym at Our Lady of Fatima, the Catholic church where she works, the Spokane Diocese was recapping how a leader of the parish, Father Miguel Mejía, had allegedly abused his powers as a...

10 U.S. bishops stand for election as the conference’s next president, vice president

A bishop uses an electronic voting device during a Nov. 14, 2023, session of the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. The bishops will elect a new conference president and vice president at their Nov....

U.S. Priests Report High Confidence in Pope Leo XIV, Less Trust in Bishops

The survey showed strong confidence in the first-ever American Pope. A 2025 survey of more than 1,100 American priests found high rates of self-reported personal flourishing, strong confidence in Pope Leo XIV, and a mixed level of trust in U.S....

Is ‘Secular’ a Bad Word for Christians?

Pope Leo XIV recently reaffirmed a conviction Christians have held for centuries: “institutions need people who know how to live a healthy secularism, that is, a style of thinking and acting that affirms the value of religion while preserving the...

Pope Leo XIV’s warm words to his army and a challenge: may they be a message of unity for the entire Roman Curia

(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 10.03.2025).- On the eve of the swearing-in ceremony for new members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Pope Leo XIV received the new soldiers and their families in a special audience in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic...

Pope tells Swiss Guards they need each other to be all they can be

14 VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Living in harmony with others requires benevolence, honesty, solidarity and mutual respect, Pope Leo XIV said. Welcoming new recruits from different regions of Switzerland to the Pontifical Swiss Guard, the pope said they...

New saints highlight power of faith amid spiritual, personal challenges

(OSV News) — When Pope Leo XIV raises three women and four men to the altar Oct. 19, he will canonize a diverse group of religious and lay men and women, all bound by the virtue of holding on to their faith amid personal, spiritual, and external...

‘Help Me Help Missionaries’: Pope Leo’s Historic Video Appeal

Earlier this week, Pope Leo did something no pope has ever done. He recorded a video message for World Mission Sunday, making a direct appeal to Catholics across the world to “help me help missionaries across the world.” The video is a little over...

Cuba frees prominent dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, sends him into exile in U.S.

The Cuban government released dissident leader José Daniel Ferrer from prison Monday and sent him with his family into exile in the United States, the island’s foreign affairs ministry said. The announcement comes after weeks of speculation about...

Court Rules on Case of Catholic Sister Suspected of Killing Fellow Nun

A Catholic nun who is the prime suspect in the murder of fellow nun Anselimina Karimi, is set to remain in police custody for the next 14 days. In a ruling issued on Tuesday, October 14, the nun's detainment is to allow police to conduct...

Pope Bob From Chicago Says Death Penalty Bad, Immigrants Human, Climate Change Real. Wingnuts Outraged!

Pope Bob, aka Leo XIV, blesses ice from a glacier in Greenland, outraging dozens. Photo: Vatican Media. Pope Bob from Chicago upset a bunch of people who are always upset anyway this week. On Tuesday, Pope Bob said that being against abortion but...

Dual challenges: Most countries are grappling with shrinking birthrates and aging populations

A growing number of countries are confronting the dual challenges of population decline and aging, as younger generations opt to have fewer children and advances in healthcare extend life expectancy. China said in January that its population fell...