Articles by Courtney Mares
Ambassador Brownback: 'Religious freedom is the most important foreign relations topic today'
Feb 6, 2018 / 15:46 pmIn his first public appearance as US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback spoke to Muslim, Jewish, and Christians leaders gathered to discuss their shared commitment to promoting peace and protecting religious minorities in the Muslim world.
An Astros rosary for Pope Francis
Feb 1, 2018 / 15:00 pmA Catholic parish in Houston is encouraging sports fans to pray with handmade rosaries in the colors of their favorite professional teams. They’re encouraging the Pope to pray with one too.
Catholic groups welcome lifting of refugee ban from 'high-risk' countries
Jan 30, 2018 / 14:09 pmCatholic organizations applauded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Jan. 29 announcement that it is lifting the ban on refugees from 11 high-risk countries, with the condition of additional security screening for new arrivals.
Senate vote to prevent filibuster on 20-week abortion ban fails
Jan 29, 2018 / 16:30 pmA procedural vote on a Senate bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks failed on the evening of Jan. 29, after more than three hours of debate. The cloture motion, which would have prevented a filibuster on the bill, required 60 votes to pass, and failed by a vote of 51-46.
Catholic aid organizations ask US to restore funds for Palestinian refugees
Jan 26, 2018 / 16:20 pmCatholic aid leaders and others have requested that the White House reconsider its decision to withhold $65 million designated for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Catholic bishops join with rabbis, imams in Canadian religious liberty fight
Jan 26, 2018 / 03:01 amInterreligious leaders from across Canada came together Thursday to sign a statement urging the national government to respect their freedom of conscience by changing controversial new requirements to qualify for federal funding of youth summer jobs.
Pence in Israel: US is committed to persecuted Christians, peace process
Jan 23, 2018 / 16:02 pmU.S. Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed America’s commitment to both peace and persecuted Christians during his four-day trip to Israel and the Middle East, which concluded on Tuesday.
Roe anniversary observed as National Sanctity of Human Life Day
Jan 22, 2018 / 15:16 pmUS President Donald Trump has proclaimed that Jan. 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion nationwide, is being observed as National Sanctity of Human Life Day.
'My mother was told to abort me', priest says to March for Life youth
Jan 19, 2018 / 11:56 amFather Martino Choi told some 18,000 teens and adults about his mother's decision in favor of life at a Youth Rally and Mass for Life held in Washington, D.C., on Friday morning.
New HHS department created to protect religious freedom
Jan 18, 2018 / 16:21 pmA new division at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work to ensure the protection of religious freedom and conscience rights for Americans, government officials announced Thursday.?
Why do some young people leave the Church? A new study investigates
Jan 17, 2018 / 15:29 pmA national two-year study released this week offers a look at why young people are leaving the Church as early as age 13.
Pope Francis to Chile's bishops: 'the mission belongs to the entire Church'
Jan 16, 2018 / 14:52 pmPope Francis reminded the Chilean bishops of the importance of living out their priestly fatherhood united in mission with their people in his final address on Tuesday, the first full day of his apostolic trip to Chile and Peru.
A look at world's 50 most anti-Christian countries
Jan 15, 2018 / 11:55 amThere are more than 215 million persecuted Christians worldwide according to the 2018 World Watch List, Open Doors USA's annual ranking of the 50 worst countries for violence and persecution against Christians.
Nigerian bishop condemns “cries of shrill Islamization”
Jan 11, 2018 / 19:00 pmBishop Matthew Kukah has decried “cries of shrill Islamization across the land,” enabled by government corruption, according to a Jan. 8 report from the Catholic News Service of Nigeria.
How Catholic Extension supports migrants along the US-Mexico border
Jan 11, 2018 / 05:00 amA U.S. cardinal has called Catholics to support the needs of refugees and immigrants living along the 2,000-mile border between the United States and Mexico.
Bishops stand with 'Dreamers' as DACA battles continue
Jan 10, 2018 / 15:54 pmCatholic leaders have responded to developments in the legal battle over the DACA program, including a court order maintaining legal protections for undocumented youth, known as “Dreamers,” and a presidential commitment to legislative support for them.
US bishops: End of protected status for Salvadorans is ‘heartbreaking’
Jan 8, 2018 / 17:10 pmThe Department of Homeland Security announced today that it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 200,000 Salvadoran migrants, leaving an open question as to the future for their 192,000 U.S. citizen children.
Bishop calls on Congress to consider tax reform’s impact on ‘the least of these’
Oct 31, 2017 / 18:30 pmWith House lawmakers set to release their tax reform bill on November 1, one U.S. bishop has laid out moral principles encouraging Congress to care for the poor, families, and the common good.