via Vatican Radio: Pope Francis met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband on Saturday in a private audience at the Vatican Apostolic Palace. A communique from the Holy See Press Office called their discussions “cordial” and said they spoke about “the good relations and fruitful collaboration between the Holy See and Germany”. “Issues… Read More Pope Francis, Angela Merkel Discuss Combating Hunger, Poverty, Terrorism, and Climate Change

Catholic Congressman Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, discusses the causes of famine in South Sudan and efforts to address it, including the work of Catholic Relief Services (via CNS):

via Michael O’Loughlin: A handful of bishops offered impassioned pleas for Catholics to take a stand against both a proposed federal budget that critics say guts the social safety net and efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act with a law that could strip health care from millions of poor Americans. “Within two weeks we… Read More Bishops: Don’t Hurt the Poor by Repealing ACA, Gutting the Safety Net

Check out these recent articles from around the web: ‘This Economy Kills’: Catholics Shouldn’t Defend It by Anthony Annett: “Brooks—like his ideological comrade Paul Ryan—seems under the spell of libertarianism or market fundamentalism, an ideology that puts economic freedom first. This ideology insists that all market rewards are fairly and justly earned and that the… Read More Around the Web

Millennial writer Mike Jordan Laskey has a new article at NCR: Familial love would be stronger than religious difference. This commitment never wavered. Between my two younger siblings and me, there were three baptisms, three first Communions and three Confirmations. Grandma was there for all nine. Reminiscing about her with other family members since her… Read More My Jewish Grandmother’s Hospitality Transcended Divides