Associated Press

Revelations that the Vatican let a famous priest off the hook twice for abusing his authority over adult women has exposed two main weaknesses in the Holy See's abuse policies: sexual and spiritual misconduct against adult women is rarely if ever punished, and secrecy still reigns supreme, especially when powerful priests are involved.

The head of Pope Francis’ Jesuit religious order Dec. 14 that a famous Jesuit priest had been convicted of one of the most serious crimes in the Catholic Church some two years before the Vatican decided to shelve another case against him for allegedly abusing other adult women under his spiritual care.

It is one of the world's most visited and beloved religious venues – the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with a circular, tent-shaped roof visible from miles away and a sacred history that each year draws millions of pilgrims from near and far to its hilltop site in Mexico City.

A prominent Roman Catholic priest known for his activism has been reinstated as leader of his Chicago parish after being cleared by church officials of allegations that he sexually abused a minor decades ago.

An unprecedented crisis of confidence is shaking a historic center of Catholicism in Germany — the Archdiocese of Cologne. Catholic believers have protested their deeply divisive archbishop and are leaving in droves over allegations that he may have covered up clergy sexual abuse reports.

One of the Vatican's leading Jesuit advisers on preventing clergy sexual abuse called Dec. 7 for church authorities to shed more light on the case of a famous Jesuit artist who wasn't sanctioned by the Holy See after he was accused of spiritually abusing women during confession.

After its searches of holy sites belonging to Ukraine's historic Orthodox church, the nation's security agency posted photos of evidence it recovered — including rubles, Russian passports and leaflets with messages from the Moscow patriarch.

Pope Francis on Dec. 6 tightened control and oversight over Vatican-based foundations and associations in his latest effort to impose international standards of accounting and governance on Vatican offices and affiliated entities.

The Supreme Court is hearing the case Dec. 5 of a Christian graphic artist who objects to designing wedding websites for gay couples, a dispute that's the latest clash of religion and gay rights to land at the highest court.

More than 100 newly revealed WhatsApp texts and other correspondence entered into evidence at the Vatican courthouse last week have jolted a financial crimes trial involving the Holy See's money-losing investment in a London property.

Ukraine on Dec. 2 banned the activities of religious organizations "affiliated with centers of influence" in Russia and said it would examine the links between the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches.

Fewer than half the people in England and Wales consider themselves Christian, according to the most recent census — the first time a minority of the population has followed the country's official religion.

The mother of a Swiss Guard member accused of committing one of the most sensational crimes in recent Vatican history – fatally shooting his commander and the senior officer's wife before killing himself -- is turning to the United Nations and Pope Francis in hopes of getting some closure nearly a quarter-century after the slayings.

Russia has lodged a formal protest with the Vatican over Pope Francis’ latest condemnation of atrocities in Ukraine, in which the pontiff blamed most of the cruelty on Chechens and other minorities in an apparent effort to spare ethnic Russian troops from criticism.

A 90-year-old Roman Catholic cardinal and five others in Hong Kong were fined after being found guilty Nov. 25 of failing to register a now-defunct fund that aimed to help people arrested in the widespread protests three years ago.

An investigation by Maryland's attorney general identified 158 Roman Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Baltimore who have been accused of sexually and physically abusing more than 600 victims over the past 80 years, according to court records filed Nov. 17.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker were locked in a tight race in Georgia on the night of Nov. 8 as elections officials continued to count ballots in the state that determined partisan control of the Senate nearly two years ago and could do so again in these midterm elections.

Mexico’s Roman Catholic Church has suspended a controversial priest who has advised parishioners to carry guns to fight off drug cartels.

The Vatican's fraud and corruption trial took a dramatic twist on Oct. 12 when a once-powerful cardinal challenged the Vatican's police commissioner on the stand about one of the more peculiar tangents of the case: the Vatican's half-million euro payments to a self-styled security analyst who, with Pope Francis' blessing, helped arrange negotiations for the release of a nun held hostage by Islamic militants.

A senior Portuguese Catholic Church official who has been named in investigations involving alleged cover-ups of sex abuse by priests said Oct. 12 his conscience is clear.