Pope Francis

In a ceremony at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, Pope Francis declared the sainthood of the murdered Salvadoran archbishop, the former pontiff and five other people.

The two high-ranking retired clerics, Archbishop Francisco José Cox Huneeus and Bishop Marco Antonio Órdenes Fernández, were expelled from the priesthood because of alleged "manifest abuse of minors."

Two months ago, a Pennsylvania grand jury detailed how Wuerl learned of credible abuse allegations against priests under his supervision — and still gave the men new parish assignments.

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.

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 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.

As Pope Francis grapples with a growing scandal, an accused bishop has resigned in West Virginia and a new study has emerged documenting the scale of clerical abuse in Germany.

In the era of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, mudslinging between rival church factions is now occurring in the open. Key unanswered questions have emboldened some of the pope's critics.

In an 11-page letter, an ex-Vatican diplomat calls for Pope Francis to resign, alleging he knew about former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's abuses for years.