Christians await the celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace at week’s end. One of the main legislative questions awaiting an answer before the U.S. Senate adjourned for the holidays was whether it would approve a new arms control treaty . . .

The gospel for Sunday, December 26 recounts how the Holy Family had to relocate several times as Joseph and Mary sought to raise the child Jesus. New population figures released by the Census Bureau Tuesday underscore how American families continue to relocate . . .

In the gospel for Christmas Mass during the day, we hear that John came “to testify to the light” that would enlighten everyone. The Federal Communications Commission Tuesday approved controversial new regulations . . .

The gospel at the Christmas Vigil Mass recounts how Joseph, on learning that Mary was unexpectedly “with child,” decided not to “expose her to shame.” Pope Benedict XVI Monday said that the church needs to reflect on what can be learned from the shameful revelations . . .

Just as the Holy Family struggled to find adequate shelter in challenging circumstances, many American families battered by economic downturn are in desperate straits this holiday season, . . .

Religious tensions existed when Jesus first came into the world, and they continue to this day. As another calendar year draws to a close, the Religion Newswriters Association has released its list of top religion stories . . .

“I’m a Jewish-American, a member of a minority group raised from the earliest part of my life to be deeply grateful for all the rights and opportunities and freedom afforded Americans.”

Forty-six executions were carried out in the U.S. in 2010, less than half the all-time high of 98 in 1999. Also cut in half since the 1980s was the number of convicted murders sent to death row, the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) reported. A DPIC poll also found that 61 percent of registered voters said they would favor nonlethal punishment for murder.