Holy Week in Pakistan this year was set against a backdrop of suicide bombings that have killed Catholic workers.

A group of Palestinian Christians, Muslims and some Jewish supporters managed to breach the tight security separating Bethlehem and Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Twice during Holy Week liturgies, the pope was caught unawares when his aides spoke passionately about the barrage of criticism the pontiff has faced. 

“Without accountability for the past there will be no healing and no trust for the future,” Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said.

A study reports that Latinos who have left the church since 1990 have shifted toward secularism as they become more Americanized.

Vulnerable populations affected by wars and internal conflicts were among the major concerns highlighted in the report.