WASHINGTON (RNS) A new poll finds that Catholics who are aware of their bishops' concerns about religious liberty generally agree with them, but the all-important Catholic vote is still up for grabs on Election Day. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) In a blow to the Obama administration and a boon for the Catholic bishops, the influential Catholic Health Association that supported health care reform has rejected the White House’s proposals that were aimed at addressing faith-based objections to the controversial contraception mandate. By David Gibson.

(RNS) The nation's Catholic bishops have discussed issues of great import this week, from sexual abuse policies to their religious freedom campaign. But the proposal made Thursday (June 14) that they consider hiring a chief spokesperson prompted the most intense soul-searching so far. By David Gibson.

(RNS) A coalition of nearly 150 religious leaders, led by conservative Protestants, have petitioned the Obama administration to broaden the exemption that allows churches and some religious organizations to avoid the controversial policy mandating that all health care insurers provide free contraception coverage. By David Gibson.

(RNS) When the nation's Catholic bishops gather in Atlanta this month, they'll hear an assessment of the reforms they adopted 10 years ago as the sex abuse scandal consumed the church. Has anything changed in the past decade? By David Gibson.

(RNS) Leaders representing most of the nation‚'s 57,000 Catholic nuns on Friday (June 1) said a Vatican crackdown on their group was based on "unsubstantiated" allegations, and caused "scandal and pain'' in the church. By David Gibson.

(RNS) The nation's Catholic bishops are reviewing the church's ties to the Girl Scouts of America after complaints that some of the venerable organization's programs and policies might run afoul of church teachings on contraception and abortion. By David Gibson.

SPOKANE, Wash. (RNS) A group of alumni at Gonzaga University is pressing the school to rescind an invitation to Archbishop Desmond Tutu as commencement speaker, saying the anti-apartheid activist supports abortion and homosexuality. By Tracy Simmons.

Even though Catholic bishops are leading the charge that the new White House contraception mandate is a threat to religious liberty, Catholics reject -- by a 57 to 38 percent margin -- the idea that religious liberty is under siege, according to a new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Service.

WASHINGTON (RNS) A House committee holds hearings Thursday that will find the Obama administration guilty of trampling on religious freedom by requiring employers to provide insurance that includes contraception coverage. By Lauren Markoe.

No joke, he was asked to leave. And he was sober. But a nun is going to the Oscars. Jesuits want bishops to tone down the "war on religion" chatter. China may invite religious freedom envoy. And Richard Dawkins needs to Google Darwin.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican will convene a global summit next week to bring together bishops and experts to review strategies to prevent abuse and to assist victims. By Alessandro Speciale.