Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston announced the decision at a Vatican briefing for reporters on Dec. 5.

The tense conditions have left people barricaded in their homes in the capital, Bangui.

Pope Francis is "a prophet who sees the world as it is and has the courage to say so."

Lawyers for a woman who claims she suffered a miscarriage because of the way a Michigan Catholic hospital handled her case have filed suit on her behalf against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops over its "Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care."The lawsuit was file

Pope Francis lays out a vision of the church dedicated to society's poorest and most vulnerable.

International and national church aid officials lost contact with their local counterparts.