Feb 17 Pope revives lapsed sex abuse commission amid skepticism By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis revived his lapsed sex abuse advisory commission by naming new members Saturday, after coming under fire for his overall handling of the scandal and his support for a Chilean bishop accused by victims of witnessing and ignoring their… Continue reading
Jan 23 Watch 6:00 The pope is defending a bishop accused of witnessing abuse. What do his words mean to survivors? By PBS News Hour Pope Francis came under fire during a trip to Chile for defending a bishop accused of directly witnessing and covering up sexual abuse by another church figure, dating back to the 1980s. While the pope apologized for his wording, he… Continue watching
Apr 27 The biggest takeaways from Pope Francis’ groundbreaking TED talk By Dan Cooney In the talk, part of TED’s annual conference, the Holy Father wove science, wisdom from Mother Teresa and the parable of the Good Samaritan to stress the importance of human solidarity. Continue reading
Feb 06 7 percent of Australia’s Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing children By Alison Thoet A new report from Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse says 4,400 children were victims between 1980 and 2015. Continue reading
Nov 21 Pope Francis extends priests’ ability to forgive abortion By News Desk After the Holy Year of Mercy ended last weekend, Pope Francis on Monday extended the ability of Roman Catholic priests to absolve those who have had an abortion, while reiterating that it is still a sin. Continue reading
Nov 01 Pope Francis says Catholic ban on female priests likely to last forever By Justin Scuiletti In a follow-up question, a reporter asked: “But forever, forever? Never, never?”… Continue reading
Sep 11 Kaine says Catholic Church might change on gay marriage By Kathleen Ronayne, Associated Press Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine is predicting that the Roman Catholic Church may eventually change its opposition to gay marriage. Continue reading
Sep 04 Watch 3:08 Mother Teresa declared a saint in Vatican ceremony By PBS News Hour Pope Francis declared Mother Teresa a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday. St. Teresa, who died in 1997, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her lifetime of work caring for the poor in the Indian city of… Continue watching
May 18 Cosby, Catholic Church rape cases prompt states to rethink statutes of limitations By Rebecca Beitsch, Stateline Fueled by sexual abuse allegations against comedian Bill Cosby and the Catholic Church, and other high-profile cases dating back decades, state legislators across the country are considering lengthening or eliminating statutes of limitations on rape. Continue reading
May 12 Pope Francis considers ordaining women as deacons By Dominique Bonessi Pope Francis opened a study into whether women can be deacons after being pressed by a global contingent of catholic women leaders. Continue reading