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Pope calls for universal ban on surrogacy after comparing it to human trafficking
In a speech to his diplomatic core on Monday, Pope Francis compared surrogacy to human trafficking and called for a universal ban on the practice. “I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child.”
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Pope Francis denounces the weapons industry as he makes a Christmas appeal for peace in the world
Pope Francis delivered his annual Christmas Day speech from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to the throngs of people in the piazza below.
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Catholic priests can now bless same-sex couples, Vatican announces
The Vatican said Monday that Pope Francis had approved Catholic priests to bestow blessings to people in same-sex relationships.
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Church roof collapses in Mexico, killing at least nine and injuring about 50, officials say
Authorities in Mexico say the roof of a church has collapsed in northern Mexico during a Mass, killing at least nine people and injuring about 50.
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Thousands of faith leaders could be deported due to green card processing change
Because of a procedural change in how the U.S. government processes some green cards, faith communities across the country may lose thousands of leaders and workers.
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Ex-Roman Catholic cardinal, now 93, not competent to stand trial in sex abuse case, judge rules
Former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial on charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in Massachusetts decades ago, a judge ruled Wednesday. Following Judge Paul J. McCallum’s ruling, for which McCarrick appeared remotely via Zoom, prosecutors moved to dismiss the case against the defrocked priest and the motion was granted, according...
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Protesters object to Worcester Catholic schools' restrictive new LGBTQ+ policy
Dozens of people took part in a protest Wednesday against a new policy at Catholic schools in Worcester, Massachusetts, prohibiting LGBTQ+ students from expressing themselves. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester’s new policy goes into effect at the start of the new school year. It requires students “to conduct themselves at school in a manner consistent with their biological...
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Worcester's diocese announces restrictive LGBTQ+ policy in Catholic schools
A new policy at Catholic schools in Worcester, Massachusetts, will prohibit LGBTQ+ students from expressing themselves. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester’s new policy goes into effect at the start of the new school year. The policy requires students “to conduct themselves at school in a manner consistent with their biological sex.” Students also “may not advocate, celebrate, or...
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Archdiocese of Philadelphia settles child sex abuse case for $3.5 million
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who claims he was sexually assaulted by a priest when he was 14 years old.
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For clergy abuse survivors, Sinead O'Connor's controversial Pope protest was brave and prophetic
In 1992, Sinéad O’Connor destroyed a photo of Pope John Paul II on U.S. national television. While the pushback was swift, for survivors of clergy sex abuse O’Connor’s protest was prophetic, forecasting the global denomination’s public reckoning that was still to come.
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The Vatican's new doctrine czar defends book on kissing he wrote as a young priest
Conservative sectors in the church are criticizing the appointment of Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández to lead the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith over his 1995 book “Heal Me with Your Mouth: The Art of Kissing.”
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Ex-Roman Catholic cardinal, now 92, is not competent to stand trial in sex abuse case, expert says
Former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial on charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in Massachusetts decades ago, an expert for the prosecution says, raising doubts about the future of the criminal case against the 92-year-old. Prosecutors this week disclosed the findings of their expert to the judge, who will ultimately rule…
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Pope Francis to be released from hospital ‘in the coming days' after abdominal surgery, the Vatican says
Pope Francis is expected to be released from the hospital “in the coming days,” as he recovers well and without complications from abdominal surgery last week, the Vatican said Wednesday.
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Lawsuit Brought by Man Who Said He Was Sexually Abused by Roman Catholic Bishop Settled
A lawsuit brought by a former altar boy who said he was raped as a child in the 1960s by a now-deceased Roman Catholic bishop has been settled. The sides announced the settlement Friday. Terms were not disclosed. The plaintiff identified in court papers as John Doe alleged in the suit filed in February 2021 that not only was he...
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Michigan Priest Pleads Guilty to Molesting 5-Year-Old Boy After Family Funeral
Vincent DeLorenzo, 84, will likely get a year in jail when he is sentenced in June and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
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Filipinos Nailed to Crosses Despite Church Objection
Eight Filipinos have been nailed to crosses to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a gory Good Friday tradition that is rejected by the Catholic church. The tradition draws huge crowds of devotees and tourists to the Philippines, an Asian bastion of Christianity. The real-life crucifixions in the rice-growing village of San Pedro Cutud resumed Friday after a three-year pause due...
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Report Details ‘Staggering' Church Sex Abuse in Maryland
More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused more than 600 children over the past 80 years.
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Boston Catholics Can Eat Corned Beef in Good Conscience This St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick’s Day, one of the biggest days of the year for drinking and partying, coincides with the religious observance of Lent. But don’t worry — Boston’s archbishop has granted Catholics the day off from their religious duties in order to celebrate Friday.
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Vermont Bishop Testifies Against Clergy Reporting Bill
The Roman Catholic Church’s rite of confession must remain confidential, even if someone tells a priest that a child has been abused, the bishop who leads Vermont’s diocese testified Friday. Bishop Christopher Coyne told the state Senate Judiciary Committee that the church is opposed to a bill that would remove an exemption from Vermont’s child abuse and neglect reporting...
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Ash Wednesday: What to Know About the Christian Tradition Marking the Start of Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and its observance lasts for 40 days, excluding Sundays. Here’s what to know about the Christian tradition.