Argentines Urged to Limit Church’s Influence on Politics

PAUL BYRNE and LEO LA VALLE / The Associated Press Aug 19, 2018 Organizers in Buenos Aires draw hundreds to a signature drive for Argentines wanting to renounce their affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church in the wake of a Senate vote opposing legalized abortion for the general public. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Report Says Church Brushed Off Complaints of Oral Sex, Rape

MARC LEVY and MARK SCOLFORO / The Associated Press Aug 15, 2018 Roughly 300 Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania molested more than 1,000 children—and possibly many more—since the 1940s, according to a sweeping state grand jury report. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Pope Calls Death Penalty Unacceptable in All Cases

NICOLE WINFIELD / The Associated Press Aug 2, 2018 The pontiff has approved a change to the Catechism of the Catholic Church—the compilation of official Catholic teaching—to say that capital punishment constitutes an "attack" on the dignity of human beings. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Politics

13 Takeaways From an Interview With Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega

Max Blumenthal / Grayzone Project Jul 30, 2018 In a candid and lengthy discussion in Managua, Ortega claims his Sandinista government defeated a U.S.-backed coup. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Philippine President Slammed for Calling God ‘Stupid’

JIM GOMEZ / The Associated Press Jun 25, 2018 Rodrigo Duterte, known for his controversial statements, sparks new outrage in Asia's largest Catholic country. Political and religious leaders are quick to denounce him as "evil" and a "madman." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Pope Punishes Cardinal in Sexual Abuse Case

MICHAEL R. SISAK / The Associated Press Jun 20, 2018 Theodore McCarrick, 87, the retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., has been removed from public ministry and faces further punishment over allegations he sexually abused a teenager more than 40 years ago. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Irish Voters Backing Abortion Rights by Wide Margin

GREGORY KATZ and RENATA BRITO / The Associated Press May 26, 2018 Activists proclaim victory for Irish women as voters in largely Roman Catholic Ireland appear to overwhelmingly approve repealing a 1983 constitutional ban on abortions. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Irish Expats Fly Home for Vote on Abortion

Emily Wells / Truthdig May 25, 2018 A historic referendum is giving the country a chance to abolish a ban on the procedure, which has been illegal in Ireland since 1983. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Pope to Gay Man: ‘God Made You Like This. God Loves You Like This.’

Emily Wells / Truthdig May 23, 2018 The remark by Francis may point to an ideological shift in the church regarding homosexuality. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

We All Could Learn Some Valuable Lessons From Pope Francis

E.J. Dionne Jr. / Truthdig Apr 17, 2018 Perhaps the pontiff can inspire some self-examination among our graceless leaders and provoke a rebellion by the decent people, or humble day-to-day saints. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Pope: God Favors ‘Saints Next Door’ Over Religious Elites

NICOLE WINFIELD / The Associated Press Apr 9, 2018 Calling on ordinary Catholics to live holy lives in whatever they do, Pope Francis issues a not-so-veiled critique of the church's doctrinaire perfectionists. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Pope to Say Mass on Contested Land in Chile

NICOLE WINFIELD and PETER PRENGAMAN / The Associated Press Jan 17, 2018 The pontiff headed to an area Wednesday used as a detention and torture facility during the country’s bloody military dictatorship. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )