Nation/World

In the spotlight: Papal trip to Kazakhstan, Pakistan floods, Canadian wildfires

In focus: West Virginia abortion ban, transgender mandate blocked, Pakistan bishops seek more flood relief

“Only by serving the cause of peace, will you make a name for yourselves in the annals of history,” Pope Francis told them.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than twice as many people died in 2020 by their own hand than by someone else, and while the annual suicide rate actually dropped in 2019 and 2020 — the last year that figures are available — the rate has risen sharply since 2000.

Catholic and other faith leaders opposed to the measure, titled the Respect for Marriage Act, said if it became law, it would jeopardize the religious freedom of millions of Americans “who have sincerely held beliefs” about traditional marriage.

“The network we are building will provide a way for the many people who want to help newcomers in their community to accompany them and to advocate for migrants, refugees and those seeking asylum in the United States,” Joan Rosenhauer, executive director of JRS/USA, said.

The Parish Twinning Program partners congregations in North America with parishes in impoverished areas of Haiti and Latin America to provide a wide variety of support.

One of the big findings was that the Census Bureau’s supplemental poverty measure for children had reached its lowest level since the bureau started recording the figures.