Francis opens a homeless clinic on the 1st papal visit to Mongolia Several of the foreign-staffed Catholic religious orders in Mongolia run shelters, orphanages and nursing homes to care for a population of 3.3 million where one in three people lives in poverty. The Associated Press
In a historic shift, Pope Francis allows women to vote at bishops' meetings Catholic women's groups that have long criticized the Vatican for treating women as second-class citizens immediately praised the move as historic in the 2,000-year life of the church. The Associated Press
Live Easter reenactments resume in the Philippines despite Catholic Church objections The real-life reenactments in the farming village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga province north of Manila resumed after a three-year pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Associated Press
Maryland attorney general releases report on decades of sex abuse by Catholic priests The redacted report paints a damning picture of abuse allegations against nearly 160 priests, involving more than 600 victims and spanning 80 years, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore's response. The Associated Press
The Vatican repudiates 'Doctrine of Discovery,' which was used to justify colonialism The doctrine, with origins in the 15th century, was invoked as a legal and religious standing by Europeans who "discovered" new lands and violently seized it from people who had been living there. Bill Chappell
After 10 years as pope, Francis continues to reshape the Catholic Church The leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics has steered his church leftward after more than two decades of conservative leadership. Opposition within the Vatican is fierce. Sylvia Poggioli
Seattle Archdiocese to pay $3 million to settle multiple sex abuse cases The Archdiocese of Seattle has settled five sexual abuse claims for a total of $3 million, the alleged abuse in those cases spanning the 1960s to the early 1980s. Liz Brazile
Pope Francis expresses shame at the scale of child sexual abuse by clergy in France The pope spoke about a report released Tuesday that estimated some 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and other church authority figures dating back to 1950. The Associated Press
A Nun Stole $835,000 From A School To Feed A Gambling Habit, Prosecutors Say Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, agreed to plead guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of wire fraud. The federal charges carry a maximum prison term of 40 years. Joe Hernandez
Pope Francis Expresses Sorrow But No Apology For Indigenous School Deaths In Canada Francis urged political and religious officials to work toward "healing and reconciliation," but he did not formally apologize for the church's role in the forced reeducation of 150,000 children. Matthew S. Schwartz
