Jonathan Luxmoore

Catholic theology faculties in Germany have accused the church of restricting their freedom and warned that theology's "scientific credibility" could be damaged by reinforced rules and procedures.

An official of the Central African Republic bishops' conference has raised doubts about a new government-rebel peace deal and urged the international community to give greater backing to the country's legitimate armed forces.

The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church welcomed the election of a leader for the country's new independent Orthodox church.

Catholic participants and observers criticized a "lack of ambition" by government negotiators at a U.N. conference on climate change that ended Dec. 15 with agreement on a rulebook to implement the 2015 Paris climate accord.

Catholic representatives worked to keep negotiations on track for a comprehensive deal to address global warming as the U.N. climate change conference entered its second and final week in Katowice, Poland.

Warsaw, Poland - Concern is growing over claims of an upsurge in nationalism and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe. Some fear current tensions could spur a new East-West rift.

The newly installed head of one of Africa's largest archdioceses will vigorously defend democracy and human rights, while also seeking to reconcile political opponents, said church officials in Congo.

As government delegations from across the globe prepare for a Dec. 2-14 U.N. conference on climate change, Catholic organizations are pledging to make the church's voice heard.

As the Orthodox ecumenical patriarch goes ahead with plans to recognize an independent church in Ukraine, despite harsh Russian reactions, Catholic Church leaders across Europe have been keeping their distance from the inter-Orthodox row. 

The Dutch bishops' conference said it had worked to prevent further sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, but said a recent report by a leading newspaper was "old news."

The Catholic Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina has urged the country to improve human rights and political representation after upcoming elections, 23 years after the country was divided by a bloody war.

The plight of the West African country of Cameroon, where English-speaking separatists have been fighting French-speaking government forces, is worsening. Church-brokered peace talks there were postponed in August, though Cardinal Christian Tumi of Douala pledged he and his Muslim and Protestant partners would go on seeking a solution as "politically neutral servants of God."

The Rwandan Catholic bishops' conference urged the government of President Paul Kagame to preserve religious rights after government officials closed thousands of churches and mosques.

Half a century after Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae, church leaders in Eastern Europe continue to vigorously defend the encyclical, in contrast to many commentators in the U.S. and Western Europe.

With over 3 million people landing annually on Mont-Saint-Michel, the site provides a magnet for pilgrims seeking a link with those Christian roots, as well as an opportunity for quiet contemplation away from the rush of contemporary life.

When Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took office June 2, Spanish Catholic leaders pledged readiness to cooperate wherever possible, despite a history of conflicts with his party.

A Catholic priest involved in the sainthood cause of a Polish cardinal has rejected claims the cardinal fostered anti-Semitism and refused help for endangered Jews.

Known by its Basque acronym, ETA, the militant separatist movement with Catholic ties has apologized to its victims — more than 850 killed over five decades — and announced its dismantling.

Despite high-level interchurch closeness between pope and patriarch, on the local level "the Catholic Church still faces great challenges merely building bridges with Russian society."

Germany's Catholic Church said it would review its employment system after top European judges warned it could violate anti-discrimination laws by requiring staffers to be religious.