Proposed Vatican Document on Liturgy Returned to CommitteeA proposed Vatican document on liturgical norms was sent back to its drafting committee after cardinals and bishops raised objections and encouraged changes. Among other things, the draft, presented to consulting prelates in June, reportedly

Pope, Physically Fading, Crisscrosses Slovakia On a trip that taxed his fading physical powers, Pope John Paul II crisscrossed Slovakia to celebrate liturgies, beatify two 20th-century martyrs and offer people inside and outside the church a message of hope. But he had trouble delivering that messag

Boston Archdiocese Settles Abuse Cases for $85 MillionLess than six weeks after becoming head of the Archdiocese of Boston, Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley, O.F.M., has made the largest financial settlement in U.S. church history with hundreds of victims of sexual abuse by Boston priests. The sett

Jerusalem’s Christian Churches Denounce Israeli-Built WallThe Israeli-built wall separating Israel and the Palestinian territories constitutes a grave obstacle to peace in the Middle East, said the heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem. For both nations, the wall will result in a feeling of

Conservatives to Meet With Bishops on Sex Abuse CrisisSeveral leading U.S. bishops are expected to attend a discussion forum with self-styled conservative Catholic voices on the clergy sexual abuse crisis on Sept. 8 in Washington, D.C. We should be talking about the 25-year legacy of our pope and ho

Pope Deplores Bombings in Iraq, Jerusalem, Urges End to ViolencePope John Paul II deplored deadly bombings in Iraq and Jerusalem and urged steps to end the new spiral of violence in the Middle East. The pope spoke at a general audience on Aug. 20, a day after a U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, wa