The Catholic Bishops' Conference in Germany wants to create a Synodal Council out of both clerics and lay people, but the Vatican has declared its rejection of this plan.

McCarrick, once one of the most powerful clerics in the Catholic Church known for his fundraising prowess, has been accused of sexually abusing both adult and child victims over decades.

At the end of April, Pope Francis will travel to Hungary, where he will meet with government officials, refugees, scholars and young people in the capital of Budapest.

Carlos Medina was charged with one count of murder “and a special allegation that he personally used a firearm,” according to a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

With a “firm intention to proceed with measures to ensure that situations similar to those reported will not occur again,” Father Verschueren said the Jesuits will begin an internal process that “may result in disciplinary action.”

“Today, I join Christians worldwide in observing Ash Wednesday,” Biden wrote on Twitter. “The Lenten season is a time for reflection and discernment and an opportunity to recommit ourselves to God and to one another.”