Catholic Church

Vatican owns up to its past mistakes, rejects doctrine used to justify colonial abuse

During a trip to Canada last July, Pope Francis faced repeated calls to rescind the so-called Doctrine of Discovery, which was used to justify abuses against Indigenous peoples, mostly in the Americas, who were viewed as inferior

Vatican closes embassy in Nicaragua after president Ortega's crackdown on Catholic Church

Relations between the church and Ortega's government have been deteriorating since 2018 when Nicaraguan authorities violently repressed anti-government protests. Some Catholic leaders gave protesters shelter in their churches

Pope Francis' 10 years as pontiff: Moments that have shaped his papacy

Several historic events, as well as several unplanned events, helped define the contours and priorities of Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff. Some of the iconic moments include visits with refugees in Italy and Greece, the coronavirus pandemic, and the death of his predecessor

'A very good outcome': German bishops back blessings for gay couples

Some 38 bishops voted in favour of the proposal in Frankfurt at Synodal Path, a high-level conference organised by the Catholic Church in Germany

Reforms, social justice and battle against sex abuse: A decade of Pope Francis as head of the Catholic Church

Pope Francis has implemented fundamental reforms of the Roman Curia including decentralising power, increasing transparency, and expanding roles for lay people and women. During his decade as Pope, he has worked for peace and reconciliation and has taken action against clerical child abuse

Popular but facing opposition, Francis marks 10 years as pope

Pope Francis marks 10 years as head of the Catholic Church on Monday, hugely popular but facing internal dissent after a decade of reform, even if he has left basic doctrine intact

Not Just Portugal: Countries where Catholic Church clergy have been accused of child sex abuse

Portugal has become the latest country to issue an independent report into clerical sexual abuse, an issue that has dogged the Catholic Church for years

The Pope said being gay isn't a crime. Why this should come as no surprise

Pope Francis’ long history of making similar comments in support of LGBTQ people’s dignity, despite the church’s rejection of homosexuality, has provoked plenty of criticism from some Catholics

'Cardinal's image permanently tainted': Australian state leader rules out public memorial service for George Pell 

Born in Victoria and once celebrated within the state, he was the highest-ranking Catholic to be imprisoned for child sexual abuse, before his convictions were quashed on appeal

Bidding Adieu: The world pays its final respects to late Pope Benedict XVI at simple funeral

Tens of thousands descended on St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City to see Pope Francis bury his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. It was a historic moment, with mourners shouting, 'Santo Subito' — 'Sainthood Now'