S.B. 360 — which passed in the California Senate May 23 in a 30-2 vote — would force priests to disclose information about child sexual abuse that they learn when they are hearing another priest’s confession or when hearing the confession of a co-worker.
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Southern Baptist Convention wrestling with its own sex abuse crisis
The nation’s largest Protestant denomination took new steps to expel member churches that cover up or mishandle sexual abuse allegations.
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Mexican Catholic leaders decry insecurity, plead for peace after murders
The Mexican bishops’ conference issued a plea for peace and Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes asked priests to celebrate Masses “for all the victims of violence in the country” after a pair of kidnappings and killings in the national capital provoked outrage and worsened perceptions of insecurity.
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British government: Abortions in England and Wales hit record low last year
Abortions in England and Wales have hit a record level, according to statistics released by the British government.
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Notre-Dame to celebrate first Mass since April fire
Paris archbishop Michel Aupetit will be wearing a construction worker’s helmet in addition to his miter.
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Vatican gender document makes one thing clear: The church needs more dialogue
Critics and supporters of the Vatican’s latest document on gender and sexuality may find little common ground on the issue, but they can agree on this: The church needs to further a dialogue about transgender individuals.
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New York ends religious exemption to vaccine mandates
The nation’s worst measles outbreak in decades is prompting states to reconsider giving parents ways to opt out of immunization rules.
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Pope Francis: Mitigate global warming and spare further injustice to poor
Faced with a climate emergency, the world must act immediately to mitigate global warming and avoid committing “a brutal act of injustice” on the poor and future generations, Pope Francis told a group of energy and oil executives and global investors.
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Bishops draw attention to migrant child deaths at border
In less than a year, at least six children are believed to have died while in the custody of immigration officials along the border.
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Catholic bishops finally tackle the sex abuse cover-up. Now comes the hard part.
David Gibson: This week’s reform package was easy compared with what comes next.