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

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

Last week we learned that the Church loves the poor. We have what we call a “preferential option for the poor.” The Church has been very good at caring for the poor and the needy worldwide. So why did Cardinal Hummes of Brazil tell Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, to “remember the poor”? Perhaps because ...read more

Nathan Schneider, a columnist for America and member of Occupy Catholics, talks about what he learned about the Bible from reporting on Occupy Wall Street. This video is part of a new series of reflections on Scripture from America and the American Bible Society. ...read more

We have all learned by now that Pope Francis will release interviews to whomever he choses, whenever he feels the moment is right. The key is asking with simplicity and sincerity. So it should come as no surprise that he released yet another interview. This time the journalist was a former homeless person and the ...read more