Fifty years ago, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical that shook the Catholic Church to its core by declaring that every use of artificial contraceptives is immoral.

NCR Today: Russians and the National Prayer Breakfast. New sexual abuse allegations leveled against Cardinal McCarrick. A Catholic #MeToo momment? Church of England to study 'clergy narcissism.' Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, the first to witness Christ's resurrection, is July 22.

We say: Overturning Roe vs. Wade won't end abortion. But addressing the pre-pregnancy needs of women and improving the post-birth life realities of mothers and their children will move us in the right direction toward a truly pro-life future.

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Tegucigalpa, Honduras Auxiliary Bishop Juan Pineda Fasquelle, who had reportedly been accused of financial and sexual misconduct.

The pope's recent comment about missionaries as "divas on tour" garnered a lot of attention. But if we read his entire text, we find a profound message about evangelization and a special challenge to American sensibilities. 

Franciscan Fr. John Eaton says becoming a single province will have two goals: to "re-energize the Franciscan spirit in the United States" and "to be more effective" with its workforce.

Commentary: Until and unless the stories of adult women who were sexually involved with Catholic priests are told and the implications parsed, I doubt that the abuse of young people and of employees will be solved.

Pope's quotes: Some of our favorite quote from Pope Francis.

In the wee hours of Thursday July 19, Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed a controversial nation-state law that explicitly defines Israel as the "national home of the Jewish people."

A new poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and The Atlantic shows that when it comes to politics, white evangelical Christians stand apart from every other religious group.