In an encyclical that might be characterized as ripped from the headlines, Pope Francis speaks some hard truths to Canadians, to Catholics and to the world.

The $10.5-million takeaway from the sordid affair of Omar Khadr is that all of society loses when its leaders fail to stand in vigorous defence of God-given human dignity and fundamental human rights.

I want to focus on a single word, one that is loaded with enough meaning to sway life or death decisions.

VATICAN CITY – Reflecting on the dignity of work, Pope Francis said that a society of fraternity promotes the dignity of the person and provides a solution to the “global economic dictatorship.”

WASHINGTON – In a joint statement, Catholic bishops whose dioceses are along the U.S.-Mexico border spoke of the "pain, the fear, and the anguish" they're seeing in immigrants and vowed to follow the example of the Pope in building "bridges, rather than the walls of exclusion and exploitation."

In recent years, there has been public debate about the need for dress code reforms, particularly for female workers in the restaurant industry. Workers and restaurant patrons have complained that it is unfair for female servers and staff to be forced to wear short skirts and high heels as part of the establishment������Ƶapp dress code standards. This issue hinges on discrimination towards female workers, as their male counterparts often don’t have the same dress code requirements.

WASHINGTON - When Pope Francis approaches the Catholic Charities building in downtown Washington during his U.S. visit in September, he will encounter a "homeless person" covered in a blanket laying on a park bench.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis reflected on the “serious social damage” caused by unemployment and praised governments for their efforts to create jobs Aug. 19.

WASHINGTON - Readers of the Bible may recall the passage in Chapter 4 of Luke that presages the start of Jesus' public ministry, in which Jesus said, in part: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives."

WASHINGTON - The Catholic Church's strong stance against pornography is based on church teaching that the human body should be respected and every person has a God-given dignity.