VATICAN CITY (RNS) Five centuries after its inauguration, the Sistine Chapel is visited by around 5 million visitors a year. Some worry this number is unsustainable without damaging Michelangelo's frescoes, but the Vatican wants to keep the iconic chapel open to all. By Alessandro Speciale

ST. LOUIS (RNS) It will be difficult for critics to compare Michelangelo's nudes with the ones photographed by the Rev. John Blair. Just after Episcopal leaders launched a sexual misconduct investigation of Blair, he lost his job as a hospital chaplain. By Tim Townsend.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican posted its highest loss in more than a decade last year, blaming mostly the "negative trend of global financial markets." But the Vatican City State, which is run by a different administration, reported a sizable profit, thanks to the record numbers of the Vatican Museums. By Alessandro Speciale.