During the traditional inaugural prayer service hosted by the Washington National Cathedral -- virtual this year because of the pandemic -- faith leaders from around the country prayed for the nation and its leaders, especially President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who were watching the Jan. 21 event at the White House.

Even though "peaceful prayer and witness" will take place in a different format due to the ongoing pandemic, it "must and will continue this year" to mark the 48th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops' pro-life committee.

More than 40 years ago, then-Archbishop William Borders of Baltimore issued a pastoral letter signaling his intention to ask that the "official ministries" of lector and acolyte be opened to women.

An English Catholic bishop joined faith leaders in condemning the persecution of Muslim minorities in China and supporting an amendment to allow the courts to review U.K. trade deals with countries suspected of genocide.

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, reaffirmed the Catholic Church's recognition of the official baptism site of Jesus in Jordan and said a new chapel on the opposite side of the river is purely touristic, not historic.

The archbishop of San Salvador reversed course and said Jan. 20 he would allow investigators to view church archives related to a wartime massacre.

A former president of the Vatican bank and his lawyer were found guilty of money laundering and embezzling millions of euros from property sales.

Two leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops applauded President Joe Biden's Inauguration Day executive action ordering the federal government to keep in place and strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed 17 executive orders and proclamations aimed at undoing policies set in place by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Jim Ennis, executive director of St. Paul-based Catholic Rural Life, didn’t always place Christ at the center of his life. He grew up Catholic in California, but even as a youngster found himself attending Mass “just in case.” Then came college, and the drift grew a little wider.