Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria said Vatican officials have told him that the upcoming beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen has been postponed.

Amid deadly protests in Iraq, a people's uprising in Lebanon and continued suffering in Syria, Catholic leaders of the Middle East called upon officials of their homelands to "ensure safety, peace and tranquility and stability for their citizens."

In February, McCarrick was dismissed by the Vatican from the clerical state.

British bishops have made the right to life a priority for Catholics ahead of a general election in which two major political parties have promised to liberalize abortion laws.

Associated Press reporting found it could result in thousands of new cases against the church and more than $4 billion in payouts.

Pope Francis has given a relic of Jesus' crib to the custody of the Franciscans in the Holy Land, who oversee the churches associated with Jesus' life, death and resurrection.