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Pope Francis' five-day foray into South Korea included a Mass attended by nearly 800,000, saw the baptism of a father of a victim of the Seoul ferry disaster, and gave a powerful silent message to the world about the horrors of abortion.

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The Vatican has issued a statement categorically condemning what it calls "unspeakable criminal acts" by the Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq, saying that "no cause, and certainly no religion, can justify such barbarity."

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Even as the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) proceeds with its annual assembly this week during which they will honor a dissenting nun, the Pew Center Research Center is reporting that the number of nuns in the U.S. is continuing its steep decline.

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After nine years of study and consultation on where the sign of peace at Mass should be placed in the liturgy, the Vatican has decided to leave it where it is.

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is applauding the Supreme Court's decision to protect the religious liberty of Hobby Lobby and similar closely held for-profit corporations in the U.S.

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All of the hot-button issues of the day, from same-sex marriage to remarried divorcees, is on the agenda at the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Family, according to the newly released Instrumentum Laboris.

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Beginning this weekend, relics of St. John Paul II, including a vial of his blood and a portion of the cassock he wore during an attempt on his life in 1981, will visit several U.S. cities over the next several months, allowing Catholics an opportunity to venerate the man who led the Church for 27 years.

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The Archbishop of Baghdad is reporting that members of his congregation are "stressed" over the rapid approach of brutal Islamic terrorists known as ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), saying Mass attendance is down and his own decision to flee is being left up "to my angels."

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Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS

The Archbishop of San Francisco has shown that he's not about to cave to political pressure from gay activists or left-leaning politicians and has sent an unequivocal response to a letter sent to him by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D) asking him not to participate in this week's pro-marriage March in Washington DC.

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A 54 year-old ex-convict has been arrested on suspicion of murdering 28 year-old Rev. Kenneth Walker on June 11 and seriously injuring Father Joseph Terra at a Mission church in South Phoenix.

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