It implements a novel understanding of marriage, which will grievously harm families and children, the bishops said.

After the Supreme Court in 1976 allowed states to reinstate the death penalty, 37 states had laws on the books permitting capital punishment.

What would happen in a Roe v. Wade reversal is far from certain, Balch added. "Theres a lot of scholarly writing in the event of what would happen," she said, like how to enforce a law outlawing abortion that is still on the books but that has been dormant for close to four decades. "Even if there a

A Vatican spokesman dismissed reports that the Holy See has rejected several candidates because of their support for legal abortion.

Pope Benedict XVI called for all nations to end the production, stockpiling and use of land mines and cluster bombs.

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham, England (left), as archbishop of Westminster.