Cardinal Blase Cupich said Father Jose Molina was accused of "improper communications" and was barred from ministering in Chicago.

A priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago has been barred from ministry there after allegations he engaged in “inappropriate conversations” with both children and adults.

Father Jose Molina, a priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, was accused of engaging in “improper and inappropriate conversations and communications with minors and adult women,” Chicago archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich said in a May 9 letter.

Cupich, in the letter addressed to parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Chicagoʼs Near West Side, said he had sent Molina back to the provincial house of the Institute of the Incarnate Word…

The bishops warned that proposed rules could have moral consequences, with people losing housing assistance and others being denied the opportunity to work.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is voicing opposition to proposed regulatory changes that would impose stricter immigration rules for housing and employment.

A housing rule proposed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could cause families to lose federal housing assistance if some family members lack legal immigration status. Current rules allow families to receive assistance at a prorated rate, with money adjusted based on how many family members are in the country lawfully.

An employment rule proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would establish a one-year waiting period for asylum seekers to receive work authorization…

The Church has never pronounced dogmatically on the question of extraterrestrial intelligence, but Catholic thinkers over the years have contributed to the discourse on the long-running topic.

The U.S. government on May 8 began releasing files related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) — previously referred to as unidentified flying objects (UFOs) — generating nationwide speculation regarding government evidence of extraterrestrial life and nonhuman intelligence. But what does the Catholic Church have to say about it?

There is “no dogma or formal teaching” promulgated by the Church on the question of extraterrestrial life, according to experts, but prominent Catholic scholars and philosophers have contributed to the discussion around the centuries-old question, one that remains unresolved amid intense public interest.

For decades “contactees” have claimed to have encountered alien…

Author Linda Carl warns that it is easy to enter into the "darkness" of yoga because its terminology and actions can be “confusing or misleading.

A book by a certified yoga instructor explores the “darkness” behind the practice of yoga and the many "misconceptions” of the practice for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Linda Carl spoke about the dangers of yoga and her newest book, “Yoga Unveiled: My Spiritual Journey from Darkness to Light," at a May 11 discussion at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C.

As a stay-at-home mom, Carl began to take yoga classes and eventually became a certified instructor. The practice led her into the chakras and Reiki, which “are New Age modalities” that claim to be energy healing techniques.

For nearly 20 years,…

In a video message, Archbishop Alexander Sample reflected on the meaning and history of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, described the U.S. bishops’ decision to consecrate America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as “a way to recognize the kingship of Christ.”

“In his encyclical instituting the solemnity of Christ the King, Pope Pius XI, drawing on the teaching of Pope Leo XIII, commended the pious custom of consecrating the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a way to recognize the kingship of Christ,” Sample said in the May 8 video message explaining the devotion.

“By celebrating this important national anniversary with this devotion, we have…

The drug will continue to be available at pharmacies or through mail, and it can be obtained without an in-person visit to a doctor.

The Supreme Court has extended an order allowing nationwide access to a mail-order abortion drug.

Justice Samuel Alitoʼs order on May 11 extended access to the abortion pill mifepristone until at least 5 p.m. ET May 14 while the court considers next steps.

The drug will continue to be available at pharmacies or through mail, and it can be obtained without an in-person visit to a doctor.

The order follows the May 4 decision by the Supreme Court to temporarily block a lower court order requiring in‑person dispensing of mifepristone after two manufacturers asked the justices to intervene, prompting Alito to…

The president likened the call to free Lai to the complexity of releasing indicted former FBI Director James Comey as families of Chinese prisoners rallied outside the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would raise the release of Jimmy Lai and Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri with Chinese President Xi Jinping as families of Chinese political prisoners gathered outside the White House in the rain to advocate for their release.

Trump is set to travel to Beijing May 13–15 with a focus on trade, Taiwan, the Iran conflict, and emerging technology issues. Trump said the release of Lai, the jailed Catholic media tycoon and democracy advocate, also will be brought up.

"Jimmy Lai, he caused lots of turmoil for China,” Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office on…

Declining numbers of practicing Catholics, fewer priests, and deteriorating buildings in Rhode Island led to the changes.

The Diocese of Providence announced at Masses over the weekend that several parishes will merge or close across Rhode Island, effective immediately.

“After consulting the Council of Priests, Most Rev. Bruce A. Lewandowski, CSsR, bishop of Providence, approved the requests of the pastors, trustees, and finance councils of several parishes in the Diocese of Providence,” read a statement from the diocese issued May 11.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Warren will merge into St. Mary of the Bay Parish, but the St. Thomas building will remain open as a worship site.

“Declining Mass attendance, limited sacramental activity, and the dearth of…