Book Reviews

New book by feminist theologian takes on clericalism, racism and the work of repair

Culture

The Wounded Church develops what Annie Selak describes as a "feminist ecclesiology of injury," an approach that begins with lived experiences of harm rather than idealized visions of what the church ought to be.

The Latest

Andrea Bocelli to sing for Pope Leo with international children's choir

Courtney Mares, OSV News

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: What do you treasure above all things?

Cardinal Tobin: War is 'always evil' and church stands on side of peace

Camillo Barone

Editors' Choice

Four bishops lie on the floor as they are given episcopal consecration during a Mass in a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary, in Econe, Switzerland, July 1, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

In Focus

Traditionalist Catholics face a difficult choice after Vatican cuts off breakaway group

For traditionalist Catholics who worship at churches affiliated with the breakaway Society of St. Pius X, Sunday Mass now comes with an extraordinary question.

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Most Read Stories

Four bishops lie on the floor as they are given episcopal consecration during a Mass in a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary, in Econe, Switzerland, July 1, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

#1
Traditionalist Catholics face a difficult choice after Vatican cuts off breakaway group

For traditionalist Catholics who worship at churches affiliated with the breakaway Society of St. Pius X, Sunday Mass now comes with an extraordinary question.

ByHolly Meyer, Associated Press
Peter Thiel speaks with attendees at the 2022 Converge Tech Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore)

#2
Tech billionaire Peter Thiel takes on popes, delves into end-times theology

In the last two weeks, venture tech capitalist Peter Thiel has accused Pope Leo XIV of being a Chinese communist agent because of his teaching on AI, and has insinuated that Pope Francis was an Antichrist figure.

ByBrian Fraga
Vatican News

#3
As bishop in Peru, future Pope Leo showed himself ahead of the curve on synodality

Despite the controversy surrounding synodality, the pope's ministerial record shows that the principles of a participatory church are deeply embedded in his pastor's DNA.

ByJustin McLellan

#4
Nuns hope international spotlight from World Cup shines on Mexico's disappeared

#5
Religious ignorance is as problematic as anti-religious bias

#6
How Andy Burnham's religious roots shaped Britain's first Catholic-born prime minister

Opinion

How JD Vance and Bishop Barron reduce Catholicism to philosophy — and what they miss

Guest Voices

Your letters: The SSPX and treatment of transgender issues

Letters to the Editor
Catherine Meeks, founder of the Turquoise and Lavender Institute for Transformation and Healing (Courtesy of Catherine Meeks)

Podcast: 'Racism has injured us all,' says racial healing leader Catherine Meeks

Guest Voices

On this week's episode of "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," John Dear hosts Catherine Meeks, founder of the Turquoise and Lavender Institute for Transformation and Healing.

Religious ignorance is as problematic as anti-religious bias

NCR Voices

AI will make war worse, Pope Leo warns

Guest Voices
President-elect John F. Kennedy shakes hands with Fr. Richard J. Casey, pastor of Holy Trinity Church, after attending Mass at the church prior to inauguration ceremonies in Washington Jan. 20, 1961. (CNS/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington)

Can civil religion make a comeback?

NCR Voices

It is difficult to see how we bind the nation's wounds without some kind of shared national mythos and telos, writes NCR columnist Michael Sean Winters.

Vatican

Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia el-Kassis, seen in an undated photo, is the Holy See's new permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, appointed to the post by Pope Leo XIV July 25, 2026. (OSV News photo/Courtesy Holy See's Permanent Observer Mission to United Nations

Apostolic nuncio to UAE and Yemen named Holy See's permanent observer to UN

Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia el-Kassis, who is also apostolic delegate to the Arabian Peninsula, succeeds Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, who is now the papal nuncio to the United States.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performs during "Grace for the World," the concert in St. Peter's Square concluding the World Meeting on Human Fraternity at the Vatican Sept. 13, 2025. (CNS/Lola Gomez)

Andrea Bocelli to sing for Pope Leo with international children's choir

The July 29 concert was organized by Bocelli's charitable foundation to take place at the Vatican's Borgo Laudato Si' gardens in Castel Gandolfo. 

ByCourtney Mares, OSV News

Pope Leo quotes Bob Dylan song in book foreword calling for nuclear disarmament

Pope Leo XIV said the conscience of just one person can "be worth the entire world" when it comes to preventing a nuclear catastrophe, in a new book foreword that also quotes an unpublished Bob Dylan song about the atomic bomb.

ByCourtney Mares, OSV News

Synod study group report on same-sex attraction continues to draw mixed reactions

Weeks after the release of a synod study group report on controversial pastoral issues, experts have continued to express mixed opinions about the document's treatment of same-sex attraction.

ByGina Christian, OSV News

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Vatican denies rumors of Rupnik acquittal

Vatican News

As bishop in Peru, future Pope Leo showed himself ahead of the curve on synodality

The Leo Chronicles

The Leo Chronicles: The beautiful game

EarthBeat

Peru: Historic churches severely damaged following earthquakes

After a pair of earthquakes struck the mountainous region of Junín in Peru, the Catholic Church in the country expressed solidarity with victims' families and is coordinating humanitarian aid to help victims, as well as efforts to preserve damaged historic churches.

A Franciscan sister journeyed to the Arctic. She found a land teeming with life.

With oil drilling threats looming in a federally protected reserve the size of South Carolina, faith leaders hope to reframe the Arctic as an ecosystem essential to life.

ByBrian Roewe

CRS receives State Department funds to 'significantly expand' humanitarian aid to Cuba

Catholic Relief Services is welcoming federal support that will help "significantly expand" humanitarian aid to Cuba, as the Caribbean nation battles multiple crises.

ByGina Christian, OSV News
The inaugural Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal, which the pope himself will present at Castel Gandolfo in October during the 2026 Villanova International Sustainability Conference in Rome. (OSV News/Courtesy of Villanova University)

Villanova unveils Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal ahead of Rome conference

A new award created by Villanova University, named after its most famous — and only papal — alumnus, will recognize extraordinary efforts in caring for the Earth and the common good.

ByBrian Roewe

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

How a Benedictine monk built Rhode Island's first utility-scale wind turbine

Death toll in Venezuela nears 5,000 as earthquake recovery intensifies

Peruvians exposed to lead as children reach $150M settlement, with Catholic help

Culture

Book Reviews

New book by feminist theologian takes on clericalism, racism and the work of repair

The Wounded Church develops what Annie Selak describes as a "feminist ecclesiology of injury," an approach that begins with lived experiences of harm rather than idealized visions of what the church ought to be.

Geese the band

Pop culture’s 'reverent irreverence': Irony, sincerity and religion

The artistic phenomenon of irony collapsing into sincerity is being interpreted by some as a way for younger generations to grapple with ritual, meaning and authenticity, even as participation in organized religion in the United States has dropped dramatically in recent decades.

ByKrysta Fauria, Associated Press, Religion News Service
Matt Damon as Odysseus and Zendaya as Athena appear in a scene from "The Odyssey," by director Christopher Nolan. (OSV News/Universal/Melinda Sue Gordon)

Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' demands we consider the cost of war

Nolan's film is fundamentally about how war changes everyone; when dehumanization and murder is institutionalized, social morals disappear. 

ByEmma Cieslik
Bible in a Year Family Edition

'Bible in a Year' podcast announces upcoming 'Family Edition' with Black Catholic priest Josh Johnson

A new podcast encouraging biblical literacy for youth is set to launch in 2027 with one of the nation's most prominent young Black Catholic priests.

BySheila Hodges , Black Catholic Messenger

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

What remains after the World Cup ends

In new documentary, Mario Cuomo is a stark contrast to today's Catholic politicians

Spiritual lessons from World Cup penalty kicks

Pearl in an oyster shell (Dreamstime/Photowitch)
Columns

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: What do you treasure above all things?

Theologians' Corner - Jesus provides four images that help us reflect upon what the kingdom of heaven will be like. Let us try to embrace the challenge of reading this familiar Gospel with fresh eyes.

Sister Leticia "Letty" Ugboaja

Nun speaks out for first time about being detained by ICE while walking to Mass in Texas

 A nun who was taken into immigration custody last month in Texas said July 23 that she went into a cold sweat as two armed men approached her while she walked to Sunday Mass in her habit, thinking about the day's Bible readings and carrying little more than her rosary and cellphone.

ByValerie Gonzalez, Jamie Stengle, The Associated Press
Sister Danielle Lussier, left, and Sister Theresa Aletheia pose for a portrait on the front porch of their home on April 27, 2026, in Mt. Sterling, Ky

These Catholic sisters want to start a new order with a difficult mission: Helping clergy abuse survivors

Sister Theresa Aletheia and Sister Danielle Lussier are the only community of religious sisters in the Catholic Church fully dedicated to serving abuse victims.

ByAdora Namigadde, Religion News Service, NPR
room full of plants
Columns

A vow of poverty, a gift of abundance

"By clearing physical and mental clutter, I am learning what is enough," writes Sr. Corbin Hannah. "I am seeking simplicity that allows me to be more present and available."

By

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

With human trafficking 'evolving drastically,' sisters learn to meet new challenges

In Indonesia, Good Shepherd Sisters accompany children across an archipelago

Catholic sisters in Kenya shape a sustainable future at AOSK 2026 general meeting