This year marks 50 years since the end of the Second Vatican Council and the promulgation of several key documents that shaped the church. There is one document, not part of the official canon of Vatican II documents, that shaped the church just as much yet has been almost forgotten. It is called the Catacombs ...read more

It is very difficult to process what happened in Paris over the last few days. It is very easy to take the route of placing blaming to this group or the other. When I see people on social media saying that we should not welcome  Syrian and Iraqi refugees because they are somehow responsible for what happened ...read more

I recall with much vividness Sept 11, 2001. It was a surreal day that will always be remembered for all the evil and destruction at the hands of terrorists. Although violence has occurred since the beginning of time, this organized and premeditated act shocked the world and instilled a heightened fear of terrorism. I was ...read more

The brutal attacks in Paris last Friday have sparked an impassioned conversation that has sadly, though necessarily, become part of our everyday lives, namely, what are we going to do about this? The draconian responses of the French government in pursuit of the perpetrators and against ISIS strongholds in Syria are understandable. So too is their ...read more

The Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday evening was freed of the brick wall which has hidden it since the Holy Year of 2000, And we take a look at today’s General Audience ...read more

CNS Director and Editor-in-Chief Tony Spence looks at political polarization in the Church, plus the growing trend of Catholic news in the secular press. How are you going to spend the next five minutes of your time?  You could browse social media or check your email, but how about meeting a fascinating person and learning ...read more

The violent Paris attacks are not a sign of war, they are only proof of cowardly desperation. The criminals choose their victims at random from the streets, from a theatre, from the stadium… in some cases they choose them for their religious beliefs. How it is possible that young men became so disenfranchised from society and ...read more

“I ragazzi europei escano per strada e vadano ad ascoltare musica e a ballare, stasera, nelle nostre belle città autunnali. È il modo migliore di rendere omaggio a chi venerdì sera è entrato al Bataclan, e non è più uscito”. Mi sento di condividere appieno queste frasi finali con cui Beppe Severgnini ha chiuso il ...read more

Peter Schineller, S.J., a theologian and former missionary, talks about what we can learn about Jesus from looking at his friends. This video is part of a new series of reflections on Scripture from America and the American Bible Society. ...read more

Father Paul Farren, author of the Freedom of Forgiveness: A Fresh Look at the Sacrament of Reconciliation, talks about the beautiful image of God we encounter in the story of the Prodigal Son. This video is part of a new series of reflections on Scripture from America and the American Bible Society. ...read more