Catholic News Service

More than 4,400 allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy were reported during the year ending June 30, 2019, a significant jump from the previous auditing period, according to a report on diocesan and eparchial compliance with the U.S. bishops' "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People."

Everyone lives a life that is often inconsistent or a "contradiction" because people can be both a sinner and a saint, a victim and a tormentor, Pope Francis said.

After calling for transparency and dialogue in the country, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez, auxiliary bishop of San Salvador, found himself under attack, including being called a "Judas" and other names via social media.

Using religion to prop up an exaggerated sense of nationalism perverts healthy patriotism in its attempts to solidify national identity by excluding some members of society, said an essay in an influential Jesuit journal.

Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami has been appointed the acting chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee for Religious Liberty.

The Diocese of Syracuse has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, citing the financial implications of more than 100 lawsuits alleging past child sexual abuse as well as the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Michel J. Mulloy, diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, as the bishop of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota.

As New York's court system prepares to hear cases again and the June 20 expiration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's moratorium on evictions approaches, Antonio Garcia, an official of Catholic Charities of New York, said the agency is prepared to help at-risk tenants.

As travel restrictions continue in the hope of slowing the spread of the coronavirus, Pope Francis offered his prayers and solidarity to those who work at sea and have either been prevented from going ashore or have not been able to work.

True believers do not condemn people for their sins or shortcomings but intercede on their behalf with God through prayer, Pope Francis said.

Critics of the death penalty denounced the decision June 15 by Attorney General William Barr to set execution dates for four federal prisoners on death row.

An analysis conducted by the staff of Catholic Extension found that dioceses it supports financially have the nation's most — and least — severe COVID-19 infection rates

In a 6-3 vote June 15, the Supreme Court said LGBT people are protected from job discrimination by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Eucharist heals people of their wounds, emptiness and sadness, and gives them the strength to share Christ's loving mercy with others, Pope Francis said.

A district attorney's decision not to pursue criminal charges against retired Bishop Joseph H. Hart of Cheyenne over sexual abuse claims does not mean "the victims are not credible," said Bishop Steven R. Biegler, who has headed the statewide diocese since 2017.

As Congo battles the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Ebola outbreak has resurfaced in the northwest, just as authorities were prepared to declare the end of Ebola in three eastern provinces.

The National Review Board, the all-lay group that monitors dioceses' performance in dealing with sexually abusive clergy and creating a safe environment for children throughout the church, has four new members.

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis and has named Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of Springfield, Massachusetts, as his successor.

True prayer is a "fight" with God in which those who think they are strong are humbled and faced with the reality of their own mortal condition, Pope Francis said.

A former military commander accused of killing six Jesuits and two women working with the Society of Jesus during El Salvador's civil war went on trial June 8 in Spain, offering hopes of justice for crimes that have wallowed in impunity for more than three decades.