Roman Catholic Church
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.
Most Southern Baptist women would welcome a woman pastor. It’s unlikely to happen.
By Ryan Burge — June 11, 2019
(RNS) — Official Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist teaching bars women from being pastors or priests. But some polling shows that many Catholics and Baptists would be fine with a woman pastor.
California lawmakers threaten to break confidentiality of confession to find abusers
By Jack Jenkins — May 31, 2019
(RNS) — The bill extends the debate over 'clergy-penitent privilege' provoked by similar provisions passed or considered in other states since at least 2002.
5 former Michigan Catholic priests charged with sex crimes
By Paul O'Donnell — May 24, 2019
DETROIT (AP) — Four priests were arrested this week in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, and the fifth awaits extradition from India.
Remembering Gary Hayes, a Catholic priest who held his church to account on abuse
By David Clohessy — April 8, 2019
(RNS) — Gary educated hundreds of thousands, enabling them to quickly see that the church's evolving policies were more about public relations and less about real reform.
Flannery O’Connor instructs Catholics to ‘stalk joy in scandal time’
By Paul O'Donnell — March 26, 2019
(RNS) — O’Connor, who would have turned 94 this week, still shows a way forward for Catholics burdened by bad news about the church's earthly leaders.
Cardinal Pell sent to prison for abusing 2 boys in Australia
By Rod McGuirk — March 13, 2019
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sentencing the most senior Catholic clergyman to be convicted of child sex abuse, the judge said Pell showed 'staggering arrogance.'
Nun in South Sudan honored for protecting education for girls
By Fredrick Nzwili — March 8, 2019
(RNS) — Sister Orla Treacy received a Women of Courage Award from the U.S. State Department for her efforts to educate girls in a war-torn country that values brides over female scholars.
Pennsylvania prosecutor fights clergy sex abuse as she maintains Catholic faith
By Bobby Ross Jr. — February 27, 2019
EBENSBURG, Pa. (RNS) — When local district attorney Kelly Callihan referred an abuse claim against her family’s erstwhile pastor to state authorities, she initiated a series of investigations that renewed the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis nationwide.
Eyeing Amazon synod, Brazil accuses church of ‘leftist agenda’
By Eduardo Campos Lima — February 25, 2019
SAO PAOLO, Brazil (RNS) — The Brazilian president's security chief was quoted in a recent news story about the synod, saying, 'We are worried about it and want to neutralize it.'
Fifty years later, Catholic Church reckons again with unbelief
By Rosie Dawson — February 18, 2019
LONDON (RNS) — This spring, a half-century after the Vatican's first conference on unbelief, scholars will again gather in Rome to discuss research on the nature of non-religion.
Germany continues payments to churches a century after deciding to stop
By Tom Heneghan — February 13, 2019
PARIS (RNS) — The state subsidies to churches have survived due to a provision in the law that makes ending them more costly than continuing to pay.
Kenyan faith leaders condemn Nairobi attack as al-Shabab takes responsibility
By Fredrick Nzwili — January 16, 2019
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — Muslim and Christian clerics urged Kenyans to forge ahead together despite the militant Islamist group's attempt to use religion to put a wedge between them.
Final US Jesuit group releases names of accused abusers
By Jack Jenkins — January 15, 2019
(RNS) — With the report, all of the Jesuits' U.S. provinces have unveiled their lists of credibly accused priests, but critics say more steps are needed to stifle abuse.
