At Villanova University, all roads — or at least many of them — seem to lead to Rome, thanks to famed alumnus Pope Leo XIV and the school's growing ties to the Vatican. Even its vaunted basketball program is getting in on the act. bit.ly/4yKrz3K

A new report indicates that 60% of adult Catholics in the U.S. believe racism exists within their local community, with about 4 in 10 (39%) saying they have experienced racial discrimination generally. bit.ly/4suvrUX

A new study by the humanitarian medical organization MedGlobal offers unusually hopeful numbers showing dropping acute malnutrition among children under 5 in Gaza. But "a huge fragility" remains. ncronline.org/news/gazas-chi…

"Indeed, as we commemorate this 40th anniversary of St. Pope John Paul II's first gathering in Assisi, we must continue the work of a more peaceful way forward for all religions," Chris Crawford writes. ncronline.org/opinion/spirit…

Two weeks after Pope Leo XIV's surgery for lung cancer, his doctor confirmed he can fly to South America according to the previously released schedule, with Uruguay, Argentina and Peru planned as stops for his Nov. 6-17 trip, the longest trip of the... bit.ly/3W9aPWh

Bringing long-overlooked stories of enslavement to light, the traveling exhibit "What We Inherit: Truth, Repair, and a Promise to the Future" challenges visitors to reckon with history while embracing the possibility of healing, accountability, and a... bit.ly/4iakuo4

Fr. John McNeill's groundbreaking 1976 book described homosexuality as a gift from God. The Vatican later silenced him, and the Society of Jesus expelled him. bit.ly/47CeG0C

On this week's episode of "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," John Dear hosts Melissa Parke, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. bit.ly/3UOt1nN

A recent survey notes 73% of registered voters said the future of democracy was an important issue for them in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, second only to the economy. ncronline.org/news/us-cathol…

Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob expressed "sincere regret" for participating in what he said was "a political photo opportunity" orchestrated by the White House. ncronline.org/news/milwaukee…

As countries including the United States and France report a rise in the number of young Catholic converts, a new Vatican document cautions against triumphalism, arguing that new baptisms don’t always lead to lasting religious commitment. bit.ly/4zbZvaG

Pope Leo XIV will miss a planned trip to Assisi next week after doctors advised against the helicopter journey to the Italian town as he recovers from lung cancer surgery, the Vatican said Friday. bit.ly/47x92Nj

Welcoming U.S. Jewish leaders at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the church's commitment to fostering friendship between the two faiths and to rejecting all forms of ethnic and religious discrimination. bit.ly/4ib49hB

"The great question before us,"asks the bishop of Phoenix, "is not whether a machine will someday learn to say, 'I think, therefore I am.' It is whether we will remember who we are." bit.ly/4Bvgeav

The upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections are relevant to the U.S. midterms. bit.ly/4z2irZ9

Letters to the editor: NCR readers respond to stories about synodal priestly formation, the relics of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, abortion and empathy. bit.ly/48bwEqV

The White House identified the 12 Catholic bishops who met and prayed with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office less than two weeks before the midterm elections, while defending his record with Catholic Americans. bit.ly/4i3Y9Zr

In his new memoir, "The Italian Job," The New York Times' Jason Horowitz chronicles the highs and lows of nearly a quarter-century of living and reporting on Italy. ncronline.org/culture/rome-r…

This September in Minnesota, the flame of love, compassion and justice ignited in over 65 Presentation Sisters as well as lay women and men from North America and beyond, as we birthed the Presentation Movement, Sr. Joyce Meyer writes. globalsistersreport.org/spir…

Less than two weeks ahead of midterm elections, a group of Catholic bishops joined President Donald Trump at the White House for a prayer meeting in the Oval Office, seen in a video shared on social media. ncronline.org/news/ahead-ele…