Catholic church

People protest as Pope Francis meets young people and elders at Nakasuk Elementary School Square in Iqaluit, Canada, last July. The Vatican on Thursday formally repudiated the "Doctrine of Discovery." The theory is backed by 15th century papal decrees that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today.

The Vatican repudiates 'Doctrine of Discovery,' which was used to justify colonialism

1:38pm March 30, 2023

by Bill Chappell

The doctrine, with origins in the 15th century, was invoked as a legal and religious standing by Europeans who "discovered" new lands and violently seized it from people who had been living there.

Pope Francis waves from the window of the apostolic palace during the weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday in the Vatican.

After 10 years as pope, Francis continues to reshape the Catholic Church

4:27pm March 13, 2023

by Sylvia Poggioli

The leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics has steered his church leftward after more than two decades of conservative leadership. Opposition within the Vatican is fierce.

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Bystanders look on as Pope Francis travels by popemobile as he departs the airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pope Francis is in Democratic Republic of Congo, its first papal visit since 1985

12:21pm January 31, 2023

by Emmanuel Akinwotu

His trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan will highlight the long-running conflicts in both countries and the rising importance of Africa to the future of the Catholic Church.

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Pope Francis arrives at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International airport on Sunday to board his flight to Edmonton, Canada, where he will start a six-day pastoral visit to the country.

The pope arrives in Canada as Indigenous groups seek a full apology

8:37pm July 24, 2022

by The Associated Press

Pope Francis began a visit to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses at residential schools, part of the the Catholic Church's efforts to reconcile with Native communities.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The conservative Catholic archbishop of San Francisco said Friday that he would no longer allow Pelosi to receive Communion because of her support for abortion ri

An archbishop bars Pelosi from Communion over her support for abortion rights

2:58pm May 21, 2022

by Emma Bowman

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco said he sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter expressing his concerns after she vowed to codify the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

A New Jersey Catholic diocese agrees to pay $87.5M to settle sex abuse lawsuits

11:15am April 20, 2022

by The Associated Press

The Diocese of Camden agreed to settle claims involving clergy sex abuse with some 300 alleged victims in one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic Church in the United States.

Pope Francis listens to speeches during his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.

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Pope Francis expresses shame at the scale of child sexual abuse by clergy in France

7:27am October 06, 2021

by The Associated Press

The pope spoke about a report released Tuesday that estimated some 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and other church authority figures dating back to 1950.

Rev. Jean Eddy Desravines, 61, of Sainte-Agnes Catholic Church near Les Cayes, Haiti, celebrates Mass on Sunday. The church sanctuary was destroyed in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck earlier this month.

World News

Churches In Haiti Lie In Ruins After The Earthquake But Still Try To Comfort And Help

9:07pm August 30, 2021

Hundreds of churches in the quake zone were damaged or destroyed. Services have resumed in many places, but rebuilding will be a lengthy process.

Prosecutors say Mary Margaret Kreuper, the 79-year-old former principal of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, Calif., has agreed to plead guilty to stealing $835,339 from a Catholic elementary school where she was the principal — in part to fund her

A Nun Stole $835,000 From A School To Feed A Gambling Habit, Prosecutors Say

11:59am June 10, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, agreed to plead guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of wire fraud. The federal charges carry a maximum prison term of 40 years.

Pope Francis speaks from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square on Sunday. Francis expressed sorrow for the treatment of Indigenous people in Canada, but did not offer an apology.

Pope Francis Expresses Sorrow But No Apology For Indigenous School Deaths In Canada

7:30pm June 06, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Francis urged political and religious officials to work toward "healing and reconciliation," but he did not formally apologize for the church's role in the forced reeducation of 150,000 children.