Catholic News Service

Bulgaria's predominant Orthodox Church has ordered its clergy not to take part in prayers or services with the pope when he visits the country in early May.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has banned a Legionaries of Christ priest from publicly exercising his priestly ministry for 10 years after he was convicted in Chile of sexually abusing a young girl.

Catholic and Orthodox leaders condemned the bulldozing of memorial crosses at a site of communist-era mass executions.

In a letter addressed to the Canadian bishops and the leaders of their Caritas affiliate, prominent leaders of the Catholic Church in the Philippines criticized a moratorium on at least four Philippine associations.

At the end of a highly unusual spiritual retreat for the political leaders of warring factions, Pope Francis knelt at the feet of the leaders of South Sudan, begging them to give peace a chance and to be worthy "fathers of the nation."

Human trafficking is a "crime against humanity," because it denies the human dignity of the victim, seeing him or her only as a piece of merchandise to be used to enrich or give pleasure to another, Pope Francis said.

After a court ruled in favor of an archbishop's defamation lawsuit against him, Peruvian journalist Pedro Salinas said he was "pleasantly surprised" by a message of support from the country's bishops.

A Nicaraguan bishop said he will leave the country indefinitely as concerns for his security increase – presumably the product of his criticisms of the Central American nation's president.

A draft of the proposed apostolic constitution for reforming and governing the Roman Curia will soon be sent out to leaders of the world's bishops' conferences, religious orders and some pontifical universities.

Everyone is "in debt" to God, who offers his infinite love and graces for free, Pope Francis said.

The number of executions worldwide has dropped by almost one-third, Amnesty International said in its latest review of the death penalty.

A Peruvian archbishop won a defamation suit against a local journalist in a long-running case involving alleged cover-up in an abuse scandal.

A week into National Child Abuse Protection Month, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori visited the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops chapel April 8 to celebrate midday Mass for conference employees and reflect on the church's work to develop policies and procedures to prevent child abuse by those within the church.

Ten years after Pope Benedict XVI established personal ordinariates for Catholics coming from the Anglican tradition, the Vatican has issued a slightly updated set of norms governing them.

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is addressing a lawsuit filed by the state "with utmost seriousness," while "steadfastly affirming" the diocese's rigorous child protection standards, said the diocese's apostolic administrator, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley told members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors how much Pope Francis appreciated their efforts, particularly their proposal for a summit of leaders of the world's bishops' conferences.

U.S. Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, celebrated his 80th birthday April 8, meaning he is no longer eligible to enter a conclave to elect a new pope.

Everyone has a direct line to Jesus, who is always nearby, ready to listen and help, Pope Francis said.

In Calais, France, migrants find a warm refuge in Caritas' day shelter. They also feel safe enough from the police who prevent them from attempting to reach the U.K. to talk about alleged police violence on the radio.