“A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” Jesus says in this Sunday’s gospel. Peace can be achieved if world leaders dedicate themselves to making it happen . . .

“How often do you pray for the president?” asks Preparethe-Word scripture commentator Alice Camille. Instead of a prayer for Barack Obama, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, Illinois compared the president’s policies on religious freedom to those of Stalin and Hitler . . .

The author of this Sunday’s second reading explains to “the children of God” that “the world does not know us” because it does not really know God. Perhaps the news media is partially to blame . . .

The liturgical readings focus “on the difference between good and bad leadership,” declares the "Inner Word" reflection in this Sunday’s "Exploring the Word." The Vatican has issued a "doctrinal assessment" last week in the case of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious . . .

Saint Peter gives witness to his vigorous faith this Sunday’s first reading. According to a new poll, while belief in God today is slowly declining in most developed countries around the world, the most fervent believers can still be found in developing countries and Catholic societies . . .

“We've spent billions of dollars killing 13 people. There is a much better system."

Crime generates an estimated $2.1 trillion globally—or 3.6 percent of the world's gross domestic product—making it one of the top 20 economies in the world, according to 2009 data from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.