Department of Labor Holds First Prayer Service
This issue of A Public Witness takes you inside a very Catholic governmental Christmas celebration that also featured a Trumpian rabbi commemorating Hanukkah.
Pope Leo XIV Enters US Political Fray, Challenging ‘Inhuman Treatment of Immigrants’
The first American pope weighed in on a controversy roiling the Chicago diocese, telling journalists the Catholic Church’s political positions include more than opposing abortion.
A Christian Activist’s Case for Deep ‘Soulwork’ in Hard Times
‘I don’t know how many strategic plans I’ve led, and I tell people I’m never going to do another one because events simply wipe them out,’ said the Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson.
Oklahoma Catholic Leaders Scrap Religious Charter School Plans, Announce Private Online School
After their pursuit of taxpayer school funding failed to get approval from the U.S. Supreme Court, the plans to open St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School have been canceled.
Robert Prevost, First Pope From US in History of the Catholic Church, Takes the Name Leo XIV
The 69-year-old Chicago-born missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and belongs to the Augustinian religious order caught the world by surprise when he was elected to be the 267th pope.
Trump Draws Criticism With AI Image of Himself As the Pope Ahead of the Papal Conclave
While Trump attended Francis’s funeral, he and JD Vance have clashed with U.S. bishops in general and Francis in particular over the administration’s hard line stance on immigration and its efforts to deport migrants en masse.
Mighty and Meek Say Farewell to Pope Francis During Vatican Funeral and Last Popemobile Ride
Following the funeral, preparations began in earnest to launch the centuries-old process of electing a new pope, a conclave that will begin on May 7.
Tributes to Pope Francis
This issue of A Public Witness offers short highlights from four reflections by Catholic writers on Pope Francis and his papacy.
Pope Francis, First Latin American Pontiff Who Ministered With a Charming, Humble Style, Dies at 88
Francis demanded his bishops apply mercy and charity to their flocks, pressed the world to protect God’s creation from climate disaster, and challenged countries to welcome those fleeing war, poverty, and oppression.
US Catholic Bishops Sue Trump Administration for Halt in Funding for Refugee Settlement
The USCCB says the administration has violated various laws as well as the constitutional provision giving the power of the purse to Congress, which already approved the funding.