Christian leaders in the Holy Land announced they would reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulcher Feb. 28 after the Israeli government has set up a negotiating team to resolve a municipal dispute over property taxes.
International News
Redemptorists Leaving Canadian Monastery
The Redemptorists are leaving their Ste.-Anne-de-Beaupre monastery, where they have been living since the 19th century.
Vatican Denies Report That Pope Benedict Has ‘Degenerative Illness’
The Vatican has denied that retired Pope Benedict XVI has a degenerative neurological disease or paralyzing condition after his brother, 94-year-old Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, told a magazine that Pope Benedict had a debilitating disease.
Violence Forces Nuns to Vacate Town in Mexico
An order of nuns has withdrawn from an especially violent city after the parents and sister of one of the women religious were kidnapped and killed.
Pope Appoints New Members of Minor Protection Commission
Pope Francis has named nine new members to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, including abuse survivors or the parents of survivors, the Vatican said.
‘Rejected’ Nigerian Bishop, Backed by Pope, Resigns
Eight months after ordering priests in a Nigerian diocese to pledge their obedience to the pope and accept the bishop that now-retired Pope Benedict XVI had named for them, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the disputed bishop.
Vatican Invited to Olympics Opening Ceremony
For the first time, the International Olympic Committee has invited a Vatican delegation not only to take part in the opening ceremony of the Winter Games, but also to attend its general meeting as an official observer.
Letter on Chilean Bishop Surfaces
Less than a week after the Vatican announced Pope Francis was sending a trusted investigator to Chile to listen to people with information about a bishop accused of covering up clerical sexual abuse, the Associated Press reported the pope was given a detailed letter from a survivor almost three years ago.
Pope Says Lent Is a Time to Break Spell of False Prophets
Catholics should use the season of Lent to look for signs and symptoms of being under the spell of false prophets and of living with cold, selfish and hateful hearts, Pope Francis said.
In-Flight Wedding on Papal Plane Met All Requirements
When Pope Francis convalidated the marriage of two flight attendants in the air, the story sent waves of turbulence through the Catholic blogosphere, but the Holy Father did not make the decision on the fly.