The norms will include abuse and the "attempted ordination of women" among the list of most serious crimes against church law.
Catholics can "take some holy pride that the bishops of Cuba were in this mediation," Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski said.
Pope Benedict XVI and his key advisers are facing a long, hot summer of problem-solving and strategizing.
The 2009 fiscal period marked the third year in a row that Vatican expenses outpaced revenues.
Bishop Francisco Claver, S.J., a defender of civil rights, died on July 1 in Manila, Philippines.
Fremont, Neb., is among the the municipalities that have voted to curtail the rights of undocumented immigrants.
Fresh intercommunity dialogue is needed to resolve the difficulties surrounding controversial parades in Northern Ireland, said a Catholic priest in Belfast.