An attorney for Gov. Jan Brewer told federal appellate judges Tuesday they should let Arizona enforce its laws against harboring illegal immigrants because there's no evidence anyone is in danger of actually being prosecuted.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is the first ever from the Americas, an austere Jesuit intellectual who modernized Argentina's conservative Catholic church.

A divided appeals court Friday upheld a Gilbert sign ordinance, saying it did not infringe on the First Amendment rights of Good News Presbyterian Church.

VATICAN CITY — Benedict XVI always cast himself as the reluctant pope, a shy bookworm who preferred solitary walks in the Alps to the public glare and the majesty of Vatican pageantry. And on Monday, the Vatican announced that the leader of the world's billion Roman Catholics was stepping down — the first pontiff to do so since 1415.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday he would resign Feb. 28 because he is simply too old to carry on. Here is the text of his announcement, delivered to cardinals gathered for a ceremony to name three new saints.

With dark shadows of uncertainty descending upon the hearts of so many at the conclusion of 2012, one can only hope 2013 will be a year of promise. But even in these dark days, miracles do still happen, especially when people are willing to roll up their sleeves for the cause of freedom.

The act of giving clearly doesn’t go out of style.

The Nativity scene with the manger and all the ceramic figures including Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and the shepherds is tucked away in a box somewhere, likely at my mom’s house in Ohio with some of my other stuff I didn’t bring to Arizona when I moved to the Valley nearly seven years ago.

Thanks to the Independent Redistricting Commission, we might see something done in Congress this year.

Two new garden beds at Esperanza Lutheran in Ahwatukee Foothills are only the beginning, as the church hopes to eventually turn all of its empty land into a functional community garden.

Thanks to the Independent Redistricting Commission, we might see something done in Congress this year.

Foothills Baptist Church in Ahwatukee Foothills is gearing up for its sixth year of The Living Christmas Tree event next month.

For nearly a decade, Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee Foothills has offered a unique experience to the biblical story of Christmas right in its “backyard.”

Members of the Senior Advocacy Group of Ahwatukee (SAGA) would like to extend our gratitude to the Ahwatukee Foothills community for making our Inaugural Symposium on Nov. 3 a tremendous success. Over 175 seniors, caregivers, industry experts, vendors and volunteers attended SAGA Symposium 2012, a first-time educational forum on important local resources hosted by the Pecos Community Center.

Stan Way, a Latter-day Saint from Jasper, Ala., had just finished dinner out with some Mormon missionaries when he noticed a car slowing as it approached.

Community members, business and religious leaders, and elected officials gathered at the Chandler/Gilbert YMCA Tuesday morning to celebrate the religious diversity of the community during a breakfast to benefit the organization.

I am not sure when you will be reading this, but chances are good that you have already voted, or it could be that the votes have been counted and the election is over. Regardless of the outcome I am pretty certain of two things. First, whichever candidate won, whether you voted that way or not, is likely not nearly as bad as his or her opponent told you. No matter what has been written by those who frequently write letters to the editor, no elected official is loosing a lot of sleep trying to design ways to destroy the country. The second thing I am pretty certain about is that whichever candidate won, whether you voted that way or not, is likely not a savior either.

During the last week of September, the congregation at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee reached into collection baskets to find some envelopes already filled with money.

As Arizona's U.S. Senate race enters its final days, the two candidates hoping to succeed retiring Sen. Jon Kyl are playing to their strengths: Republican Jeff Flake is calling in presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to help close his argument for victory with the state's conservative-leaning electorate. Democrat Richard Carmona is reaching out to independents and Hispanics, two key voting blocs that could help him pull off an upset.

Editor's Note: These letters to the editor have been sorted by topic by the Tribune editorial staff in an effort to allow readers to read varied opinions on the issues, candidates, and other circumstances surrounding the 2012 general election. These submissions are the opinions of the author, not the Tribune, and have not been edited for grammar or content.

Residents can celebrate Halloween early with activities at Ahwatukee Foothills churches this weekend.

Millenials, Generation Y, or simply, teenagers and the 20- to 30-something population has seemed to slip through the “grasp” of the church’s hand.