The Maryland Catholic Conference will host a Virtual Catholic Advocacy Day Feb. 19. Instead of bringing people to Annapolis for briefings on issues of importance to Catholics during the legislative session, interested people can access the day remotely.

A new annual report by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops identified what it called five areas of critical concern, defined as both threats and opportunities, for religious liberty.

As they grapple with the decisions ahead, clergy and fellow parishioners are mobilizing: Some are consoling evacuees at the shelter, others are transforming nearby churches and schools into hubs of hope.

As news spread of a long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, reactions from religious leaders in the region expressed hopes for peace in the Holy Land, concern for the safety of hostages as well as the people of the Gaza Strip for the past 15 months.

Amid what a Catholic charity called “unimaginable” suffering of civilians trapped in civil war brutality in Sudan, the United States declared that one of the fighting factions is committing genocide in the country and slapped sanctions on its leader.