US & Canada

Mike Cisneros writes in Angelus News: In 1923, a sign was placed in the hills above Los Angeles hoping to attract buyers to a new real estate development. Though the sign was only meant to be temporary, 100 years later it has become a symbol of both a bygone era and a representation of something that has endured through constantly changing times. That was the Hollywood sign. This year, many LA-a... Read More

In a November 9, 2023 letter to President Biden, Churches from Middle East Peace (CMEP) and thirty American Christian leaders called on President Biden and his Administration to support an immediate ceasefire, de-escalation, and restraint by all involved. The text follows below. Dear President Biden: We, the heads of churches, denominations, and church-based organizations in the United States, rem... Read More

Pope Francis has removed Bishop Joseph E Strickland from the pastoral governance of the diocese of Tyler, USA, and has appointed Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin as apostolic administrator of the same diocese, rendering it sede vacante. The decision came after an apostolic visitation last June in the Diocese of Tyler, which was entrusted to two US bishops, Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden, and Bishop... Read More

This afternoon, (2.30 local time) Catholic and other Christian peacemakers held a 'pray-in' near Lafayette Park outside the White House to call on President Joe Biden, a Catholic, to abide by Jesus's way of courageous love and heed Pope Francis's plea to take the side of peace, and urge all parties to de-escalate hostilities; abide by an immediate ceasefire; and release all hostages. The groups i... Read More

Jewish Voices For Peace said in in a statement today: "We're watching a genocide unfold in real time. In just three weeks, the Israeli military has killed over 8,000 Palestinians in Gaza, among them over 3,000 children. That's more than the annual number of children killed in conflicts across the globe since 2019. "As the Israeli military plunged Gaza into darkness on Friday - cutting off all inte... Read More

The Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace have joined more than two dozen US Catholic organizations in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to take the necessary steps to de-escalate the conflict in Israel-Palestine, including calling for a humanitarian ceasefire and for all parties to prioritize corridors for humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza; and to prioritize steps t... Read More

Faith communities across the United States are joining hands to observe the annual World Day Against the Death Penalty on 10 October. Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), a national organization working to end the death penalty, has identified 16 faith-led events and counting, serving as a poignant reminder that people of faith are helping lead the national effort to abolish capital punishment. Kris... Read More

Baton Rouge, LA - The Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Life has urged Governor John Bel Edwards to use his full executive power to clear Louisiana's death row. In a letter sent on Tuesday, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Academy, reiterated the Roman Catholic Church (the Church)'s opposition to the death penalty and called on the Governor to act. "Since every human life is sacred, ever... Read More

Catholic bishops in Canada are gathered this week in King City, Ontario, for their annual Plenary Assembly, to discuss a series of issues including the expansion of euthanasia, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, the protection of minors against abuse, the upcoming Synod on synodality and the Church's work in overseas development. Introducing the first session on Monday, 25 September, CCCB Pre... Read More

Two years ago, claims emerged in Canada that mass graves of indigenous children were found in residential schools run by Catholic and other religious groups. There was an instant outburst of public anger, some of it implicitly endorsed by Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and in the aftermath of the claims, at least 83 churches were burned or vandalised. However, since then, not one single ... Read More

Representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC) joined tens of thousands of demonstrators in New York City for the "March to End Fossil Fuels." This powerful protest took place just before the United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders gathered for crucial climate discussions. The march began with an interfaith invocation, bringing together people from various religious background... Read More

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr delivered this speech today, 60 years ago, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, on 28 August 1963. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came... Read More

Thousands of demonstrators joined faith and community leaders in the 60th Anniversary March on Washington to the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, despite intense summertime heat. Many carried signs and flags. Children came with their parents and elders, many of whom remembered the day back in August 1963 when Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his "I have a dream" speech became icons in the push for ju... Read More

River buoys laced with circular saws. Separated, imprisoned migrant families. Border officers ordered to push exhausted asylum seekers - including children - into a rushing river. That's the brutal state of affairs along the Rio Grande River right now, thanks to Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott's 'Operation Lone Star.' Abbott is Catholic, but he's making it clear that he takes neither Cathol... Read More