Nation/World

On Feb. 26, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico signed a bill into law overturning a dormant 1969 ban on most abortion procedures.

Visiting a Baghdad cathedral “hallowed by the blood of our brothers and sisters” murdered in a terrorist attack that shook the world, Pope Francis said their sacrifice must motivate faith and a commitment to working for the common good.

If it passes and becomes law, the American Rescue Plan Congress is considering would pit the great need Americans have for economic relief in this pandemic against those who insist the bill must include abortion funding, said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chairmen of seven USCCB committees.

To make sure COVID-19 vaccines reach everyone, Catholic health care officials are working to overcome hurdles of bias, language barriers, and technology and transportation access.

In a new video, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine reiterated that use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine “can be used in good moral conscience.”

“I am the pastor of people who are suffering,” Pope Francis told Catholic News Service Feb. 1 during a discussion about his Iraq trip. In a sign of his determination to travel to Iraq, the pope indicated to CNS that he would consider taking a regular commercial flight to get there if needed.

A parish outreach program aids in the scheduling of COVID-19 vaccines for over 65 parishioner seniors.

Preliminary reports in El Salvador confirm what the majority in the country signaled they wanted and some feared: the consolidation of power in the hands of one person.