Articles by Courtney Mares
Reform bill the ‘first step’ to restorative prison justice, advocates say
May 24, 2018 / 04:00 amThe U.S. House of Representatives has passed prison reform legislation that would integrate faith-based programs into federal prisons to help prisoners prepare to successfully reenter society.
Letter asks Trump to remember political prisoners in North Korea negotiations
May 17, 2018 / 15:29 pmAs President Donald Trump prepares for a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, religious freedom advocates are urging the U.S. president to negotiate the release of the remaining prisoners in North Korea’s labor camps.
Nigeria's bishops call for processions to honor those killed in church attack
May 16, 2018 / 16:09 pmNigeria’s Catholic bishops have called on each of the nation’s dioceses to organize peaceful processions May 22 in solidarity with the funeral for two priests and 17 others killed in an attack by Fulani herdsmen on a parish church.
Catholic leaders condemn use of disproportionate force at Gaza-Israel border
May 16, 2018 / 11:01 amDuring his Wednesday audience, Pope Francis lamented the latest violence in the Israeli-Palestine conflict, expressing his distress that the region is “increasingly moving away from the path of peace, dialogue and negotiations.”
In Iran, Christian converts face 10 year prison sentences
May 12, 2018 / 05:02 amIn Iran, conversion to Christianity can be a crime meriting a sentence of more than 10 years imprisonment.
Religious freedom efforts in the spotlight as North Korean prisoners freed
May 9, 2018 / 12:29 pmThe release of three American prisoners from North Korea was hailed as an important first step in addressing abuses within the nation, as U.S. leaders call for a continued expansion of religious freedom initiatives in U.S. foreign policy.
Christian leaders in Jerusalem respond to vandalism by settlers
May 7, 2018 / 15:27 pmChurch leaders are defending the need for a Christian presence in the Old City of Jerusalem, as some report increased vandalism, verbal abuse, and aggressive property acquisition by Jewish settlers.
Balancing human rights with peacebuilding efforts in North Korea
May 5, 2018 / 03:10 amThe potential release of three American prisoners from North Korea’s labor camps – reported to be “imminent” – would be a unique success at the intersection of human rights and peacebuilding efforts in the East Asian country.
As bishops say he's 'failed,' Nigeria's president meets with Trump
May 1, 2018 / 16:00 pmIn a meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House Monday, President Donald Trump expressed his concern about recent attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
Commentary: St Joseph the Worker in the 21st century
May 1, 2018 / 02:01 amAs the father of Alfie Evans fought to defend his son’s life, I could not help but think of St. Joseph fleeing the threat of King Herod’s tyranny with the Christ child in his arms.
Bishop: With historic Inter-Korean Summit, 'God answered our prayers'
Apr 27, 2018 / 15:42 pmLocal bishops called the Inter-Korean Summit an answered prayer after the leaders of the two Koreas signed a peace agreement on April 27.
New report paints worrying picture of global religious freedom
Apr 26, 2018 / 09:45 amReligious freedom conditions worsened across the globe in the past year, according to the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom’s 2018 report, released April 25. ??
Vietnamese pastor who was jailed for faith says it was 'God's gift to me'
Apr 19, 2018 / 15:09 pmAfter surviving six years of imprisonment and torture, Vietnamese pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh told CNA that prayer sustained him through his physical suffering and pain.
Five things Catholics can do to support international religious liberty
Apr 19, 2018 / 14:09 pmAt the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Summit on Wednesday, Robert George shared five steps Catholics can take to support religious freedom at home and abroad.
US promises $16 million to aid Venezuelan refugees
Apr 16, 2018 / 15:33 pmAs the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela deepens, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced that the United States will provide nearly $16 million in aid to Venezuelan refugees.
How hospitals are targeted in the Syrian civil war
Apr 13, 2018 / 18:00 pmHospitals have become military targets in Syria, making it difficult to provide aid to victims of the country’s civil war, according to leaders of NGO and human rights groups working in the region.
Facebook CEO apologizes for 'mistake' of blocking Catholic content
Apr 11, 2018 / 12:12 pmFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced questions from lawmakers about his company’s censorship of Catholic content during his two-day congressional hearing following the revelation that millions of Facebook users’ personal data had been compromised.
President of France calls on Catholics to engage politically
Apr 11, 2018 / 02:03 amFrench President Emmanuel Macron stressed the importance of a Catholic voice in the country’s political debates, particularly on bioethical issues, in an address to the French bishops April 9.
Africans stand for life in UN battles over reproductive health
Apr 9, 2018 / 15:27 pmAfrican Catholics remained concerned about a push from Western leaders to promote abortion and contraception in Africa in the name of economic development, especially as the United Nations Commission on Population and Development began its annual meeting Monday.
Archbishop Chaput: Paul VI would not be surprised by the #MeToo movement
Apr 4, 2018 / 18:01 pm“The #MeToo movement, emotional wreckage, sexual disease and date rape are the realities we’ve inherited from the sexual revolution. Paul VI would not be surprised,” said Archbishop Charles Chaput in a speech Wednesday.