Catholic clergy in Crimea have defended Ukraine's right to self-determination.Bishops called for prayers for peace, but a priest in the naval port of Sevastopol said the families of Catholic troops serving with Ukrainian and Russian forces were "deeply confused and worried" about the m

Pope suggests the church could tolerate some types of nonmarital civil unions.

The Catholic Church needs to find a way to offer healing, strength and salvation to Catholics whose marriages have failed, who are committed to making a new union work and who long to do so within the church and with the grace of Communion, Cardinal Walter Kasper told the world's cardinals.Jesus

Archbishop calls for "human and diplomatic solidarity" as war clouds gather over Crimea.

Catholic church leaders in the Central African Republic said they believe European nuns working in the country are "generally safe," after reports of rape by retreating armed groups."We've heard about acts of rape by various armed groups, and we've deplored them," said Ms

Pope Francis said bishops should act not like ambitious corporate executives, but humble evangelists and men of prayer, willing to sacrifice everything for their flocks."We don't need a manager, the CEO of a business, nor someone who shares our pettiness or low aspirations," the pope s

Residents of communities devastated by the storm confront a difficult future.

In a joint letter to members of Congress, Catholic bishops and evangelical leaders pleaded for "common sense fixes to our immigration policies" by passing legislation this year.In the Feb. 26 letter, 11 bishops and half a dozen evangelical leaders said that as religious leaders, "we l

Notre Dame can fill out a form and direct a third party to provide contraceptive coverage.

The three months of protests in Ukraine that ended with government snipers killing dozens of people strengthened the commitment to democracy of many Ukrainians, but also left the country vulnerable to further violence and division, said the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church."The danger that