The Associated Press

United in grief and anger, families of the victims and several thousand Lebanese on Aug. 4 marked one year since the horrific explosion at Beirut's port with a moment of silence and prayers at the foot of the silos that was shredded by the blast on that fateful day.

The longtime former head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany says the diocese covered up sexual abuse by priests for decades and protected clergy by sending them to private treatment instead of calling police.

A lawsuit has been filed accusing Bishop Peter Libasci of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, of committing sexual abuse decades ago while he served as a priest in New York.

The discoveries of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential schools for Indigenous children in Canada have prompted renewed calls for a reckoning over the traumatic legacy of similar schools in the United States — and in particular by the churches that operated many of them.

Pennsylvania's high court on July 21 dealt a blow to victims of child sexual abuse, throwing out a lawsuit by a woman whose lower court legal victory had given hope to others with similarly outdated claims who'd sued in the wake of a landmark report that documented decades of child molestation within the Catholic church in Pennsylvania.

New Mexico state Sen. Joseph Cervantes, a Democrat, says that he has been treated differently by the church since voting to repeal a state law banning abortion under most circumstances.

The Nicaraguan government organized events Monday to mark the anniversary of the revolution that overthrew dictator Anastasio Somoza. But with most opposition leaders jailed, many Nicaraguans say President Daniel Ortega is acting much like Somoza did 42 years ago.

The Francis Chronicles: Two weeks after surgery that removed a portion of his colon, Pope Francis on July 18 resumed his weekly appearances from a Vatican window to bless the faithful in St. Peter's Square.

The Norwich Diocese has filed for bankruptcy to resolve dozens of lawsuits alleging the abuse of teenagers decades ago at the former Academy at Mount St. John School, a residential treatment center for troubled youth.

Pope Francis cracked down July 16 on the spread of the old Latin Mass, reversing one of Pope Benedict XVI's signature decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics.

Pope Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital and returned home to the Vatican on July 14, ten days after undergoing surgery to remove half his colon.

Pope Francis is expected to return to the Vatican "as soon as possible" following his stay in hospital for rehabilitation from intestinal surgery that he underwent earlier this month, the Vatican said July 13.

Pope Francis will spend a few more days in the hospital following his July 4 intestinal surgery to "optimize" recovery and rehabilitation treatment and therapy, the Vatican said July 12.

Pope Francis on July 11 made his first public appearance since major intestinal surgery last week, greeting well-wishers as he stood for 10 minutes on a hospital balcony, offering hearty thanks for the prayers for his recovery and calling health care for all a "precious" good.

Pope Francis is walking, working and has celebrated Mass at a Rome hospital where he also will deliver his Sunday weekly blessing while recovering from intestinal surgery, the Vatican said July 9.

Pope Francis temporarily had a fever three days after intestinal surgery, but routine tests and scans proved negative, the Vatican said July 8.

Pope Francis' recovery from intestinal surgery continues to be "regular and satisfactory," the Vatican said July 7, as it revealed that final examinations showed he had a suffered a "severe" narrowing of his colon.

 Pope Francis ate breakfast July 6, read the newspapers and took a walk as he continued recovering from intestinal surgery, the Vatican said, declaring his post-operative checks to be "good" and normal.

Pope Francis went Sunday, July 4, to a Rome hospital for scheduled surgery for a stenosis, or restriction, of the large intestine, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis announced on Sunday that he'll go to Slovakia in September, adding a three-day visit to that European nation after a pilgrimage to neighboring Hungary.