Pope Francis sent his support to the March for Life, which took place in Washington, DC, on Friday.

The Message – sent by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin – said Pope Francis “trusts that this event, in which so many American citizens speak out on behalf of the most defenseless of our brothers and sisters, will contribute to a mobilization of conscience in defense of the right to life and effective measures to ensure its adequate legal protection.”

Each year, the March for Life draws hundreds of thousands of people to the United States capital to call for the protection of the unborn, and end to euthanasia, and to promote other pro-life issues…

Pope Francis on Sunday dedicated his catechesis to the Gospel reading of the day  reflecting on the Beatitudes recounted in the Sermon on the Mount.

He was addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the  Angelus prayer.

The Gospel of Matthew, Francis said, is the keystone of the New Testament. It tells of how Jesus manifested God’s will to show man the path to happiness…

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has released a statement decrying President Trump’s orders to construct a wall at the US/Mexico border and to increase immigrant detention and deportation.

Actions, the statement says, that put immigrants’ lives needlessly in harm’s way, tear families apart and spark fear in communities. 

Reacting to the US President’s executive orders to build the wall, Bishop Joe Vasquez, Chair of the Committee of Migration and Bishop of the Diocese of Austin, points out that its construction “will only make migrants, especially vulnerable women and children, more susceptible to traffickers and smugglers”…