Dec 16 Vatican cardinal sentenced to 5½ years in prison after being convicted of embezzlement By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press A Vatican tribunal on Saturday convicted a cardinal of embezzlement and sentenced him to 5 ½ years in prison in one of several verdicts handed down in a complicated financial trial that aired the city state’s dirty laundry and tested… Continue reading
Nov 11 Pope forcibly removes Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland, a vocal U.S. conservative By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis on Saturday forcibly removed the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a conservative prelate active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff and has come to symbolize the polarization within the U.S. Catholic hierarchy. Continue reading
Oct 03 Vatican meeting to address key issues facing the Catholic Church By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press It calls for a “radical inclusion” of LGBTQ+ Catholics and others who have been marginalized by the church, and for new accountability measures to check how bishops exercise their authority to prevent abuses. Continue reading
Sep 30 Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals to help carry out Catholic Church reforms By Nicole Winfield, Trisha Thomas, Associated Press Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals at a ritual-filled ceremony Saturday, including key figures at the Vatican and in the field who will help enact his reforms and cement his legacy as he enters a crucial new phase in running the… Continue reading
Aug 30 Pope heads to Mongolia in centuries-old diplomatic exchange By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press In some ways, he will be completing a mission begun by the 13th- century Pope Innocent IV, who dispatched a series of emissaries east with letters to ascertain the intentions of the expanding Mongol Empire. Continue reading
Aug 30 Judge rules former Catholic cardinal not competent to stand trial on teen sexual abuse charges By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press A judge has ruled that former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial. Continue reading
Aug 28 Pope Francis denounces ‘backward’ attitudes of conservatives in U.S. Catholic Church By Associated Press The Pope said those conservatives have replaced faith with ideology and that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time. Continue reading
Jun 20 Catholics call for Vatican to embrace women in leadership, LGBTQ community, report says By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press The Vatican on Tuesday released the synthesis of a two-year consultation process. It has published a working document that will form the basis of discussion for a big meeting of bishops and laypeople in October. Continue reading
Jun 09 ‘The momentum is irreversible.’ More states are removing time limits on child sex abuse lawsuits By David Sharp, Associated Press Advocates say momentum is growing for completely removing the statute of limitations for child sex abuse lawsuits. Maryland followed Maine and Vermont to become the only three states to have eliminated all time limits on lawsuits. Continue reading
Apr 26 Pope Francis grants women right to vote at upcoming bishops’ meeting By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press The unprecedented change reflects Francis' hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Continue reading