Pope Leo XIV, who was known as Cardinal Robert Prevost before becoming the first American selected to lead the Catholic Church on Thursday, has reposted online content critical of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on immigration and religious issues.

A Chicago native and Villanova University graduate, Leo XIV speaks English, ...Read more

CHICAGO — Catholics across the region are celebrating the historic announcement that the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the church was born and raised in the Chicago area.

In his first words as Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost announced “peace be with you,” invoking a message of dialogue and care for those in need ...Read more

President Donald Trump Thursday congratulated Pope Leo XIV, calling it a “great honor” that the Chicago-born pontiff has become the first pope born in the U.S.

“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country.”

Trump ...Read more

ROME — Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as Roman Catholic pontiff, the first ever pope from the United States and a possible bridge between the moderate and hard-line sides of a divided Church.

Prevost, 69, chose the name of Leo XIV for his pontificate and was greeted by thousands of cheering faithful as he stepped out onto a ...Read more

ROME — Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as Roman Catholic pontiff, the first ever pope from the United States and a possible bridge between the moderate and hard-line sides of the Church.

Prevost, 69, chose the name of Leo XIV for his pontificate and was greeted by thousands of cheering faithful as he stepped out onto a balcony ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed in principle to settle more than 100 childhood sexual abuse lawsuits filed against it last year in San Diego and across California, according to recent court filings in the cases.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs and the Utah-based LDS church, often referred to as the Mormon ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Sex abuse survivors scoffed at the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s claim of “charitable immunity” in bankruptcy court and encouraged others Wednesday to sue the church before financial damages face new limits next month.

“Just when you think you may be reaching the end of the Catholic Church’s road of hypocrisy, they find a ...Read more

As more than 130 voting cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to begin the secret process to elect the next head of the Holy See, a new poll finds that a plurality of U.S. Catholics want Pope Francis’ successor to continue his teachings.

The papal conclave includes the most electors ever — the bulk of them appointed by the late ...Read more

A new Washington state law requires Catholic priests and other religious community leaders of different faiths to report potential child abuse to state authorities.

But does the law signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on May 2 raise constitutional issues?

The question is central to a new federal civil rights probe launched under President Donald Trump...Read more

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a 50-1 betting long shot to be elected pope in 2013, when the former Argentine cardinal beat the odds and took the name Pope Francis.

Bettors are banking on another long shot to succeed Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88.

While Italian cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle continue to...Read more

The new bishop of Camden said Monday that his diocese would no longer oppose a statewide investigation of sex abuse by clergy — a stunning reversal after the diocese had spent years arguing in sealed court documents that the probe proposed by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office should not be allowed to move forward.

In an interview, ...Read more

Should a blatantly sectarian educational institution qualify for public funding as a charter school? The Supreme Court wrestled with the question Wednesday. The answer must be no.

Charter schools are public schools; we’ve said this many times, as have fellow advocates for the innovative instructional models they deliver. They are free and ...Read more

NEW YORK — New York lawmakers are brokering a deal that would delay and weaken educational requirements for religious schools — a major setback for yeshiva reform advocates who believe all students should receive some secular instruction, The New York Daily News has learned.

The plan is to include the changes in the next state budget, which...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared poised Wednesday to rule that church-run schools have a right to operate as public-funded charters.

If so, the decision could transform K-12 education and public schooling nationwide.

Since the early 1990s, charter schools have taken hold in California and 46 other states as a...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared poised Wednesday to rule that church-run schools have a right to operate as public-funded charters.

If so, the decision could transform K-12 education and public schooling nationwide.

Since the early 1990s, charter schools have taken hold in 47 states as a popular public-...Read more

As the faithful across the globe mourned the life of Pope Francis last week, the focus now shifts to selecting the 267th pope to lead the nearly 1 billion Roman Catholics worldwide.

That decision lies with the conclave, consisting of about 140 eligible cardinals who must convene 15 to 20 days after the death of a pope, according to Canon Law.

...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Another person once close to Justin Bieber has offered an explanation for ongoing concerns about the pop singer’s mental health and the state of his marriage, amid the 31-year-old’s public outbursts, vulnerable social media posts, questionable Coachella behavior and recent move to “torch” a lot of his longtime ...Read more

In 1805, New York made a deal. State officials granted taxpayer funds and a corporate charter to a private organization known as the Free School Society, which agreed in return to provide a free education to poor children in New York City. Over the next decades, the society became a precursor to modern-day charter school networks that are ...Read more