Religion

Pope Francis leaves the Paul VI hall at the end of his meeting with youths attending the synod at the Vatican on Saturday. The three-week meeting will likely be dominated by what many analysts call Catholicism's worst crisis since reformation.

Vatican's Meeting Of Bishops Is Overshadowed By Abuse Allegations

5:45pm October 08, 2018

As the Catholic Church deals with new sex-abuse revelations, the pope opened a three-week gathering of bishops in Rome Saturday on how to make the Church relevant for young people.

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A semi-desert steppe after a storm, between Trelew and Las Chapas, Patagonia, Argentina.

'False Calm' Acts As A Record Of Real Life In Patagonia

7:01am October 08, 2018

by lily meyer

Argentine writer María Sonia Cristoff wants to be honest: She won't shape her subjects' narratives or take control another person's story. This is both the book's great strength and great weakness.

Faith-based groups from both sides of the political spectrum are working to inspire voters for the midterms. A man listens as Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown speaks at a church as part of The South Rising Tour, aimed at getting more voters to

Faith Groups Get Out The Vote For The Midterm Elections

6:32am October 08, 2018

by Jerome Socolovsky

President Trump has asked his evangelical supporters to help stop Democrats from taking control of Congress, but religious progressives are also getting people to the polls.

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Pope Francis waves prior to reciting the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis' Popularity Falls Sharply Among U.S. Catholics

7:40pm October 02, 2018

by Tom Gjelten

Six of 10 U.S. Catholics say Pope Francis is doing only a "fair" or even a "poor" job handling the clergy abuse crisis. He is now only as popular as his predecessor, Pope Benedict.

Pope Francis has removed Fernando Karadima from the priesthood, seven years after the Vatican found that Karadima had sexually abused minors in Chile.

Pope Francis Defrocks Priest Fernando Karadima, A Notorious Abuser In Chile

3:25pm September 28, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Karadima has been the face of the church's sex abuse scandal in Chile. In 2011, a Vatican tribunal found him guilty of sexually abusing dozens of minors.

The Diocese of Cheyenne urged law enforcement to reopen an old clergy sex abuse case against a former bishop.

Wyoming Reopens Dormant Clergy Sex Abuse Case

8:23am September 27, 2018

by Tennessee Watson

The Catholic bishop in Cheyenne, Wyo. urged police to re-open an old clergy sex abuse investigation he says was flawed. The state has no statute of limitations for felony child sexual abuse.

Pope Francis released a letter on Wednesday urging Catholics to trust his decision to form an agreement with the Chinese government on the appointment of bishops in China.

Pope Francis Urges Catholics To Trust Historic Agreement With China

6:35pm September 26, 2018

by Shannon Van Sant

The statement on the appointment of bishops in China has sparked confusion and criticism among some Catholics. The pope reassured them that functionaries won't be named to deal with religious issues.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx and Bishop Stephan Ackermann present the results of the study on sexual abuse of minors by Germany's Catholic priests and clerics on Tuesday in Fulda, Germany.

German Bishops' Report: At Least 3,677 Minors Were Abused By Clerics

6:19pm September 25, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

The study found that 5 percent of priests in the country's dioceses had been accused of abuse. Germany's justice minister said the study was "shocking and probably just the tip of the iceberg."

Pope Francis meets a group of faithful from China at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in April. The Vatican says it signed a "provisional agreement" with China on the appointment of bishops, a breakthrough on an

China And Vatican Sign Agreement On Appointment Of Bishops

4:38am September 23, 2018

by Doreen McCallister

The "provisional" deal — signed in Beijing by deputy foreign ministers on both sides — gives the Holy See a say in naming of bishops, and grants the pope veto power over candidates.

Revelers in Mumbai hoist up a statue of the elephant-headed god Ganesh and parade it toward the Arabian Sea.

Indians Are Partying And Praying For Elephant-Headed God Ganesh

5:30am September 22, 2018

by Lauren Frayer

For 10 days, they sing, dance, chant and pray at the feet of Ganesh statues, then submerge them in water. The festival was once used to circumvent British rule.