U.S. & World News

The rise in coronavirus vaccine mandates around the country, including at Catholic diocesan offices, hospitals and universities, has prompted a parallel increase in interest in a vaccine exemption template letter developed by the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Roots of Peace founder Heidi Kuhn is on a deadline-driven, life-or-death mission to get her nearly 400 employees out of Afghanistan by Aug. 31.

Pope Francis will be sending nearly a quarter of a million dollars to help people in Haiti, who are struggling in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake during a global pandemic.

A spokeswoman with Texas Right to Life said a federal appeals court ruling upholding the Texas Dismemberment Abortion Ban is a "long-awaited victory" Texans are celebrating.

Getting emergency supplies and aid into the Haiti region most impacted by the Aug. 14 earthquake will prove a major logistical challenge, said two missionary nuns who work in Haiti.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture's recalculation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and a major increase in the benefit for those in need "will be a meaningful improvement in the lives of millions of people who rely on SNAP for basic nutrition," Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City said Aug. 21.

July saw record encounters between Customs and Border Protection agents and people attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border -- 213,000 in total, said U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas during an Aug. 12 trip to McAllen and Brownsville in Texas.

Pope Francis encouraged new courses of action for parishes to help people understand the importance of Sunday Mass and parish ministries, a top Vatican official wrote in a message.