Heidi Schlumpf

Reaction to an explosive letter from a former Vatican ambassador to the United States has been swift and predictably partisan, leaving many Catholics wondering whether the letter's uncorroborated allegations against high-ranking church officials — including Pope Francis — are true or not.

Morning Briefing: Trump’s “Watergate moment,” voices Pope Francis won’t hear in Ireland, controversy over a retreat for gay priests and more sex abuse reaction, including two statements to sign

More than 3,000 theologians, educators and lay leaders have called for all U.S. bishops to submit their resignations to Pope Francis, much like Chile's 34 bishops did in May after revelations of sexual abuse and corruption, as a public act of penance and a "willing abdication of earthly status."

The U.S. bishops' call for an apostolic visitation and lay-involved investigations into abuse and cover-ups was called a "good start," but at least one former National Review Board member called it "too little, too late."

"I want the people of God to hear from bishops that we are taking this moment seriously," Archbishop Paul Etienne wrote in a recent blog post where he offered a seven-point proposal for responding to sexual abuse by bishops.

Morning Briefing: Promising primary election results, what to do about sexual abuse of seminarians, and Catholic sisters call for communion at LCWR meeting

Former members of the National Review Board are calling for an independent investigation of sexual abuse of seminarians and other vulnerable adults, including allegations against one of the country's most prominent church leaders, retired Archbishop Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C.

The Catholics on Call program brought together about two dozen young adults, mentors and others July 25-29 in Chicago, for discussion and community about finding direction in life.

On an American Bar Association panel, Chicago cardinal praises Pope Francis' decision, announced hours earlier, to revise church teaching to forbid the use of the death penalty.

Retired Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick has renounced his position in the College of Cardinals, leaving the global Catholic Church's most symbolic and powerful group in the wake of revelations that he sexually harassed or abused several young men during his meteoric rise to become one of the U.S. church's most senior prelates.

The bishop delegate to the synod will encourage improvement in catechetical outreach because he believes young people do not understand church teaching. But young Catholics say they want accompaniment and openness to new ideas.

Kathleen O'Connell Sauline, a member of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, told the the priest and deacon who denied her the Eucharist that she was hungry and thirsty "for that which Jesus called us to share." 

Morning Briefing: Happy birthday, Humanae Vitae, bishops responding to McCarrick allegations and theologians enroute to Sarajevo

Morning Briefing: Trump: Treason or trouble with a double negative? Spadaro and Figueroa critique "prosperity gospel." And nuns and brothers who were not born Catholic.  

A survivors' support group is contending with online attacks and, for some of its leaders, legal action. Some say this retaliation is part of the broad pushback against the Catholic #MeToo movement. 

Morning Briefing: Children reunited — and not — with their parents; questions for Kavanaugh and the conservative Catholic behind his nomination

Reaction to U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh tended to fall along ideological lines and focus on Roe v. Wade; some commentators are raising concerns beyond the "culture war" issues. 

A record number of women have declared their candidacy in 2018, including progressive Catholic women whose campaigns have been informed and inspired by Catholic Social Teaching — but they aren't running as "Catholic candidates."

Morning Briefing: An in-depth look at People of Praise; Cardinal Tauran dies; life in a border parish

Ex-members who criticize People of Praise as authoritarian want Amy Coney Barrett to address her involvement in the group, which grew out of the 1970s Catholic charismatic revival.