India's Catholic Church has led a chorus of protest over a demand to ban the sacrament of reconciliation from the chairwoman of the National Commission for Women.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke about ongoing threats to religious freedom and what can be done to halt them at a conference held July 30 at the Department of Justice.

In a July 30 statement, the patriarchate said the law is a "cause of great concern" because the rights of Palestinian citizens, who make up 20 percent of Israel's population, are not protected by the law.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican's family and laity office, spoke as the U.S. church hierarchy has come under fire from ordinary American Catholics outraged that ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's misconduct with men was apparently an open secret in some U.S. church circles.

The transfer is precipitated by the decision of the sisters to sell the property because of declining numbers of the order.

Pope Francis asked people to generously serve those most in need and to never waste food.