Nation/World

Pope Francis led prayers for the people of Albania after the country was struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake.

“It fills me with hope, because these are young people who have personal encounters with Christ. That’s what it’s all about — a personal encounter with Christ,” said Father Jeremy Theis, pastor of the parishes in Upsala, Elmdale and St. Francis.

First impressions of Pope Francis in 2013 revealed his style and pastoral priorities, and since then, his words and actions have continued to inspire and challenge the Catholic Church and the world.

For the third consecutive year, states in the Gulf South of the U.S. ranked near the bottom of a 2018 “social justice” index that measures poverty, racial disparity and immigrant exclusion, according to the Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University New Orleans.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, appointed Bishop Caggiano to be the new chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services Nov. 25.

Two Catholic leaders expressed concerned with the federal government’s new plan to send Central Americans who want asylum in the U.S. to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador where they would be required to apply for U.S. asylum while in one of those countries.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, and 17 other pro-life leaders have called on President Donald Trump to block an amendment they say would “enrich global abortion providers,” which currently is part of a Senate appropriations measure.

The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life announced it is setting up a specialized team of young Catholic leaders as advisers.