Roman Catholic Church
As synod deliberates, vandals dump controversial indigenous carving into the Tiber
By Claire Giangravé — October 21, 2019
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The theft of four versions of 'Our Lady of the Amazon' has succeeded in pushing the conservative opposition to Pope Francis' agenda to the fore.
As fostering reaches crisis point, activists make it a pro-life issue
By Charles C. Camosy — October 9, 2019
(RNS) — As the number of children in need of homes has risen, in at least half of U.S. states the number of parents who choose to foster is actually falling.
Opposition to Amazon synod spurs new right-wing coalition in Brazil
By Eduardo Campos Lima — October 3, 2019
SÃO PAULO (RNS) — Its opposition to the Pan-Amazon synod's goals has given a group of conservative Catholic organizations new life as a wedge of the Brazilian president's populist base.
Vatican defends married priest proposal on Amazon agenda
By Nicole Winfield — October 3, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Organizers of the Synod on the Pan-Amazon Region defended plans to introduce debate on married priests, saying the proposal represents the “the voice of the local church,” not a decision by the pope.
In Rome, Pompeo and Brownback invoke glory days of US-Vatican alliance
By Claire Giangravé — October 2, 2019
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Invoking the alliance between President Ronald Reagan and St. John Paul II, the secretary of state and Vatican officials stressed religious freedom and other issues on which the current president and pope agree.
Vatican cardinal skeptical about married priests for Amazon
By Nicole Winfield — October 2, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinal Marc Ouellet acknowledged the Amazon region's priest shortage and said he was open to debate about it during this month's Amazon synod.
A New York diocese filed for bankruptcy. Will others follow?
By Carolyn Thompson — September 23, 2019
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — All eight of the state's Roman Catholic dioceses face financial pressures as a result of the state's new Child Victims Act.
Missouri investigation: 12 ex-clergy could face prosecution
By Jim Salter — September 13, 2019
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The referrals are the result of an investigation into church records of more than 2,000 priests and 300 deacons, seminarians and religious women.
Pope Francis shrugs off critics, calling schism part of church’s history
By Claire Giangravé — September 10, 2019
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — On his flight back from a weeklong trip to Africa, Pope Francis answered critics of his papacy, saying that although he hopes for dialogue he’s not afraid of a schism.
Boston’s Catholic archdiocese expands effort to digitize archives
By Aysha Khan — August 12, 2019
BOSTON (RNS) — The data will help individuals hoping to trace back their family ancestry, as well as historians, genealogists, economists and other scholars looking for bulk data for their research.
Vatican names new leader of West Virginia diocese to replace Bransfield
By Associated Press — July 23, 2019
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) — Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop Mark Brennan will lead the Wheeling-Charleston diocese after a scandal over the former bishop's sexual harassment of adults and lavish spending.
Indiana teacher fired for same-sex marriage sues archdiocese
By Ken Kusmer — July 11, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Joshua Payne-Elliott said, 'We hope that this case will put a stop to the targeting of LGBTQ employees and their families.'
Why are Catholic schools firing gay teachers — and how can one refuse?
By Jack Jenkins — June 27, 2019
(RNS) — Two Catholic high schools in Indiana have been ordered to fire openly gay teachers. One did; the other vows to carry its protest against the order to the Vatican. What is going on?
American cardinal severs ties with Bannon-linked group
By Nicole Winfield — June 25, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinal Raymond Burke said in a statement Tuesday that he was terminating his relationship with the Dignitatis Humanae Institute immediately.
Catholic bishops finally tackle the sex abuse cover-up. Now comes the hard part.
By David Gibson — June 13, 2019
BALTIMORE (RNS) — The reforms the Catholic bishops passed this week to deal with the sexual abuse crisis were easy compared with changing the culture of clerical privilege that is at the heart of the abuse crisis.
