Catholic Church
ANALYSIS: Pope and Change: What Pope Francis can learn from President Obama
By David Gibson — December 12, 2013
(RNS) Pope Francis’ trajectory from near anonymity to the heights of power is remarkably similar to that of President Obama's. But can the pontiff avoid the pitfalls that have dogged the president?
Fox News columnist rips Pope Francis, loses Catholic News Service gig
By David Gibson — December 6, 2013
Adam Shaw wrote movie and video game reviews for CNS, which operates under the aegis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Not any more.
Pope Francis launches commission to tackle sex abuse
By David Gibson — December 5, 2013
(RNS) After growing criticism that Pope Francis has not given sufficient attention to the clergy sex abuse scandal, Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley said Thursday that the pope will create a special commission to advise him and church leaders on ways to address the crisis.
Over objections, Catholic bishop holds anti-gay exorcism
By Michael J. O'Loughlin — November 20, 2013
The Catholic bishop of Springfield, Illinois, goes ahead with exorcism in response to that's state embrace of same-sex marriage.
Controversial bishop to exorcise marriage equality demons
By Michael J. O'Loughlin — November 15, 2013
The Catholic bishop of Springfield, IL, has a history of extreme rhetoric. Now, he's leading an exorcism to fight same-sex marriage.
Study: Catholic parishes are increasingly multicultural
By Katherine Burgess — November 15, 2013
(RNS) More than a third of U.S. Catholic parishes are multicultural, according to a study by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
ANALYSIS: Meet the 4 most influential US Catholic bishops
By David Gibson — November 14, 2013
(RNS) Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, making him the public face of the American hierarchy. But in quieter ways, four other churchmen may wield more influence where it counts: with Pope Francis.
Catholic bishops challenged to adapt to Pope Francis’ priorities
By David Gibson — November 11, 2013
BALTIMORE (RNS) As they began their annual fall meeting on Monday, the U.S. Catholic bishops heard a pointed challenge from Pope Francis’ personal representative to be pastors and not ideologues -- the first step in what could be a laborious process to reshape the hierarchy to meet the pope’s dramatic shift in priorities.
The Vatican sets rules for new Internet domain: sorry, Catholic bloggers
By Eric J. Lyman — November 8, 2013
ROME (RNS) The Vatican has said that use of the new “.catholic” Internet domain will be limited to official organizations such as Catholic churches, parishes, schools and the like, and that individual Catholics or bloggers won’t be allowed to use it.
Priests accused of abuse hiding in plain sight
By Mark Mueller — November 7, 2013
RUTHERFORD, N.J. (RNS) Monsignor Peter Cheplic is one of at least seven alleged sexual predators quietly placed in a Rutherford retirement home for priests in the past 15 years -- on the same block as a Catholic grade school. This is hardly an isolated case: Across the country, clerics who have been removed from ministry are being housed by dioceses in neighborhoods teeming with children, and residents rarely know about their presence.
As Catholic bishops meet, the ‘Francis Effect’ changes everything
By David Gibson — November 5, 2013
(RNS) On issues from the U.S. bishops' campaign against the Obama administration’s contraception mandate to high-profile battles against gay marriage, Pope Francis’ new marching orders have scrambled what had been a fairly predictable routine.
3 ways the Vatican could allow divorced Catholics back to Communion
By David Gibson — October 30, 2013
(RNS) Two-thirds of the nearly 55,000 annulments granted by Catholic Church tribunals around the world each year are in the U.S., even though American Catholics account for just 6 percent of the world’s Catholic population.
Pope Francis breathes new life into Cardinal Bernardin’s contested legacy
By David Gibson — October 24, 2013
(RNS) “The point that (Bernardin’s) consistent ethic makes is exactly the same point that Pope Francis is making – let’s look at the whole picture and not just focus almost exclusively on three or so issues,” said Archbishop Michael Sheehan of Santa Fe, N.M.
Baptism rates slide despite high-profile boosts
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — October 22, 2013
(RNS) Baptism rates are in steady decline for U.S. Catholics, Southern Baptists and others. Will high profile attention to the ritual from the Archbishop of Canterbury to the pope inspire a change?
Could Pope Francis make women cardinals? A pipe dream, and an opening
By David Gibson — October 17, 2013
(RNS) There’s a saying in the Catholic Church that while only God can create the world, only a pope can create cardinals.
