While he has previously spoken of the need for better screening of candidates for the religious life, Pope Francis’s comments suggesting that priests who cannot keep their vows of celibacy should leave are some of his clearest to date. read more

The boy’s mother briefly spoke to the pope as she tried to pull the child away, saying that he was mute. Pope Francis told her to let him carry on playing. read more

Nineteen suspected jihadists linked to a deadly attack on Coptic Christians in central Egypt have been killed in a shoot-out with police, the interior ministry said. read more

Pope Francis on Sunday strongly condemned the attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh as an “inhuman act of violence,” and prayed for the stamping out of “hotbeds of hate” and for stronger moral and civil values. read more

Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun, has been released from Kottayam jail in Kerala. Mulakkal was released from jail on Tuesday after he was granted unconditional bail on Monday by the Kerala High Court. The court, while announcing the bail, directed him to surrender his passport and asked him not to enter Kerala. The prelate, who was in charge of the Jalandhar diocese, was arrested on September 21 after three days of questioning in Kerala on charges of raping a nun of his congregation, Missionaries of Jesus, repeatedly between 2014 and 2016. He became the first Indian Catholic bishop to be arrested in a case of the alleged sex crime against a nun. He, however, refuted the allegations, terming them “baseless and concocted.” The Bishop was temporarily relieved of his pastoral duties by Pope Francis on September 20, after he expressed his desire to ‘temporarily step aside’, allowing him time to fight his case.read more

Pope Francis said some people justify abortion as respecting other rights. But, he asked, “How can an act that suppresses innocent and defenceless life as it blossoms be therapeutic, civil or simply human?” read more

Pope Francis acknowledged on Tuesday that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church were driving people away and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations. (HT Correspondent )read more

Francis’ visit to Tallinn marked the last stop in a four-day pilgrimage that also took him to Lithuania and Latvia. He aimed to encourage the Christian faith in the Baltics. read more

The historic deal will give the Pope final say in naming bishops. The Vatican said the accord, a breakthrough after years of negotiations, was “not political but pastoral.” read more

Protesting nuns welcomed the Pope’s decision as their “first victory” in the struggle against the bishop. The Pope has named Bombay Archdiocese Bishop Emeritus Agnelo Rufino Gracias as Franco Mulakkal’s replacement. read more

The Bishop has been accused of rape by a nun and was questioned by Kerala police. read more

The Bishop had been summoned in connection with the probe into allegations of rape by a nun amid mounting pressure for action against him and continuing protests by Missionaries of Jesus nuns and officials of various churches for the past 10 days in... read more

On Friday, Bishop received official summons served by the Jalandhar police on behalf of Kerala police, which is probing the case. read more

The February 21-24 meeting at the Vatican is believed to be the first of its kind. read more

A 43-year-old nun who has accused a bishop in Jalandhar of sexual assault on Tuesday released a seven-page letter to Vatican’s India Ambassador in which she accused church officials, including Pope Francis, of ignoring her complaints. (HT Correspondent )read more