The church rules insist that the priest provide economic support for the children, he said, but they also recognize that the duties and responsibilities of fatherhood go beyond that to include affection and education, especially in the first years of the child's life.

If tried and found guilty, the penalties can vary depending on the seriousness of the crime and, often, the age of the accused; possible penalties include removal from office, restricted ministry, “a life of prayer and penance” without any public ministry and dismissal from the clerical state.

After the Vatican’s historic summit on the sexual abuse of children, Archbishop Mark Coleridge says “the mission of the church” is at stake.

“It’s a pretty common belief here in the South that Catholics are not Christian.”

Thieves vandalized the crypt and took the head of an 800-year-old mummy known as "the Crusader."

Where do you experience joy in your life? Where does God bring you joy and where do you bring others joy?