Church at odds with Burkina Faso campaign for women to use contraceptives

The Catholic Church in Burkina Faso has renewed a campaign to stop the use of contraceptives as a form of family planning. The church’s move comes weeks after the government strongly urged citizens to use family planning to help reduce the sizes of families. “We cannot plan families for ourselves. That’s the work of God,” […]

People of Tonga need prayers, help to recover from disaster, says cardinal

ROME — The people of Tonga have lost everything, and they will need time, help and prayers to recover from one of the most devastating volcanic eruptions in modern times, said Cardinal Michael Czerny. “The government, the people, the church and other organizations are evaluating the impact of this calamity in order to begin the […]

Pope names two New York pastors as auxiliary bishops of N.Y. Archdiocese

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Francis has named two pastors in the New York Archdiocese to be auxiliary bishops of their archdiocese, Father John S. Bonnici and Father Joseph A. Espaillat. Bonnici, 56, is currently pastor of St. Augustine Parish and Sts. John & Paul Parish, both in Larchmont, New York. Espaillat, 45, is pastor of […]