Sixty-six percent of Catholic Charities agencies saw an increase in requests for assistance from families with children.

The team will also be responsible for the further study of liturgical music and singing.

Otto Pérez Molina, a retired general with a controversial past, has been elevated to the presidency.

"The summons to disobedience has not only left many Catholics shaking their heads, but has also triggered alarm and sadness," the Austrian bishops said.

New research indicates that frequent churchgoers face the future with more optimism and greater social support than other people.

The high incidence of rape in Congo is destroying the nation’s society, said Sister Marie-Bernard Alima.