BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (RNS) If there is any Catholic bishop who probably didn't need a bigger platform it would have to be William E. Lori, the hierarchy's high-profile point man in the battle for religious freedom. But now that he's been tapped as the next archbishop of Baltimore, Lori will be closer to the action in a fight that is defining the hierarchy and Lori's career. By David Gibson.

(RNS) as the U.S. hierarchy stakes its claim as the first and final arbiter of the Catholic position in this hotly contested battle, the bishops are also facing a number of internal challenges. Left unchecked, they could undermine the bishops' position and weaken their future standing if they are seen as losing their faceoff with the White House. By David Gibson.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) A group of theologians who advise the Vatican on faith matters says bishops must have the last word when it comes to affirming the "authentic interpretation" of Christian beliefs. By Alessandro Speciale.

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) The Church of God in Christ has lifted the suspension of a New Orleans bishop after a judge ruled that the charges of forcible rape, sexual battery and indecent behavior brought against him were too old to prosecute. By Bruce Nolan.

(RNS) A conservative Brazilian bishop who broke away from his church over the consecration of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire was found murdered with his wife in the northeastern town of Olinda, according to the diocese.

(RNS) Some critics of President Obama's compromise on contraception have called it a "game of let's pretend." Yet that "game" is actually a venerable tradition in Catholic moral theology that for centuries has provided a way for Christians to think about acting virtuously in a fallen world. By David Gibson.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Bishops from all over the world at a Vatican-sponsored conference on clerical sexual abuse will take part in a penitential vigil in
Rome, seeking forgiveness for the church's role in preventing abuse. By Alessandro Speciale.