Vatican

The president, a devout Catholic, supports an effort to pass abortion access in Congress. The pope has compared abortion to "hiring a hitman."

John Paul I reigned as supreme pontiff for just 33 days in 1978 in the so-called "year of three popes."

The offer came after the defense complained of serious procedural problems in the investigation that it said warranted the indictment being thrown out.

"I personally might merit attacks and insults because I'm a sinner, but the church doesn't deserve this; it's the work of the devil," Pope Francis said.

"Climate change is not only a future challenge, but an immediate and urgent matter of survival," said the statement from the world's top Christian leaders.

The pope's comments come weeks after campaigners in Italy launched a petition to reverse a law banning assisted suicide, making the country the latest in Europe to move toward legalizing the act.

"I ask for your prayers as I continue to fight against the lawsuits stemming from these two allegations," DiMarzio said.

The pontiff told Spanish broadcaster Cadena COPE that the withdrawal by the U.S. followed "deception" by the Taliban.

The 220-acre prison complex, which holds members of the country's Uyghur minority, could be the largest detention center in the world.

Poland's Catholic Church released a report on the sexual abuse of minors. Archbishop Wojciech Polak apologizes to the victims.

The secretary of state met with Pope Francis to discuss America's relationship with the Vatican.

Activists accused the Vatican of "unprecedented" interference with its formal opposition to the proposed Italian Zan Law that would expand anti-LGBT discrimination protections.

Human rights experts said the church demonstrated a pattern of behavior "to protect alleged abusers, cover up crimes, obstruct accountability of alleged abusers and evade reparations due to victims."

The Vatican is taking steps to implementing a term limit on leadership positions. They hope applying a term limit will prevent abuses of power and more scandals.

The report from the Council of Europe's Moneyval monitoring body also said the Vatican has prosecuted only a handful of money laundering cases in the past decade.

Pope Francis announced that priests and laypeople who hold church office can be explicitly punished for sexually abusing minors and adults.

A Jesuit in Berlin who will perform the blessings of same-sex unions said the homophobia of his church makes him angry. "I am ashamed of it," he told the Associated Press.

The new laws mark the pope's biggest step to cut down on corruption in the Vatican.

Fifty-five percent of GOP-leaning Catholics said Biden's pro-choice abortion stance should preclude him from taking Communion.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said that he didn't feel that the Supreme Court ruling was protesting lockdowns in the way that Pope Francis spoke about those who opposed restrictions.

The soccer star was an admirer of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, frequently criticizing the United States, including one notable incident in 2007 on Chavez's TV show.

Conservative anti-gay Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano claims that Pope Francis is involved in a conspiracy seeking the "legitimization of homosexuality" in service to the "new world order."

With many churches offering virtual services during the coronavirus pandemic, Christians can celebrate Easter with congregations they may not normally celebrate with.

The Australian cleric was sentenced to six years in prison, serving just over a year before his release.

Pope Francis' former treasurer who was acquitted of child sexual abuse on Monday was also the subject of an extemporaneous homily given on Thursday.

"I have consistently maintained my innocence while suffering from a serious injustice," Pell said Monday.

The archives, which open on March 2, chronicle a fraught period for the Vatican, during which time it remained silent about the Holocaust.

Calling the woman's actions "so violent," 'The Five' co-host Emily Compagno declared that the person who grasped the hand of Pope Francis deserved to be "choked out" by his security guards. "He's not Jesus."

The pontiff was greeting the faithful in the Vatican when a woman made a grab for his hand.

The leader of the Catholic Church spoke about the unconditional love of God and "the greater light of Christ" in his annual Christmas blessing and sermon at St. Peter's Basilica this week.