Religion

POPE Benedict XVI said today he could understand why people were turning their back on the Catholic Church after the recent sex abuse scandals, as he arrived for his first state visit to Germany. At […] […]

AN international group representing victims of sexual abuse by priests says it will sue Pope Benedict through the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said on […] […]

THE Vatican today acknowledged “grave failures” over the handling of a child sex abuse scandal involving priests in southern Ireland that sparked outrage in the Dublin government. While denying any suggestion that it sought to […] […]

JAKARTA, Indonesia—A mayor is trying to ban Christian churches on streets with Islamic names, the latest attempt to block construction of a new parish in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. Critics say the proposal—however arbitrary—is […] […]

VATICAN CITY—Pope Benedict XVI is “deeply saddened” by the ordination of a bishop in China without his approval, the Vatican said Monday, attacking the latest unilateral act by China’s state-controlled Catholic church in its standoff […] […]

POPE Benedict XVI wrote a message on Twitter overnight praising Jesus and announcing the launch of a new Vatican website in the first “tweet” by a leader of the Roman Catholic Church. “Dear Friends, I […] […]

BEIJING—An advocacy group and local official say Chinese police have detained 49 leaders of the underground Protestant church in a central province. The U.S.-based China Aid Association says all three floors of a church building […] […]