Beginning Oct. 1, Ascension Press offers a 28-day podcast designed to guide listeners through a reading of “Story of a Soul,” the much-loved spiritual autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. George Matysek talks about the project with one of the hosts of the new podcast, Carmelite Father Michael-Joseph Paris of St. Thérèse.

Most Catholics are trying to make the best prudential decision while a lot of people are yelling at them with their opinions.

During a brief question-and-answer period with reporters on the papal plane returning to Rome from Belgium Sept. 29, the pope was asked specifically whether he thought Israel had gone too far in its most recent strike on Lebanon.

Every crisis, including what the Catholic Church can experience when people no longer care about religion or have distanced themselves from the faith, is meant to wake Christians up from their slumber, make them ask questions and to change, Pope Francis told bishops, priests, religious and pastoral workers.

Amid ongoing and potentially escalating conflict in both the Middle East and Ukraine, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin cautioned gathered delegates at the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York Sept. 28 that, “peace is only possible if it is wanted.”